


The Road to Nowhere

by CS_WhiteWolf



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mystery, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-19
Updated: 2008-12-19
Packaged: 2017-10-23 12:07:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/250117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CS_WhiteWolf/pseuds/CS_WhiteWolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nestled away in the picturesque surroundings of the Brecon Beacons stands Craig-y-Nos Castle, a building notorious for being one of the most haunted in the country. Nothing for Torchwood to concern themselves with, until, that is a spike of rift activity in the area coupled with the disappearance of a guest force Torchwood to investigate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Road to Nowhere

**Author's Note:**

> Written for {livejournal} thestopwatch holiday bang 2008.

The SUV’s tyres crunched over the gravelled driveway that brought them eventually before the magnificence of Craig-y-Nos Castle; lit up as it was against the darkness of the night by some artfully located accent lighting. Pulling into a parking space and killing the engine, Ianto took a moment to marvel at the beauty of the structure before them.

“It doesn’t look sinister at all,” he commented after a heartbeat of silence.

“What were you expecting?” Jack asked, turning to look at Ianto with raised eyebrows and a grin, “Thunder and lightning, bats circling the rooftops, Lurch coming over to unload the bags?”

Ianto rolled his eyes. “There’s no need to be quite so dramatic. I was merely pointing out that for a notoriously haunted venue it doesn’t exactly strike terror into the heart, now does it?”

“If it’s the shivers you’re looking for, Ianto, you needn’t go looking for ghosts,” Jack waggled his eyebrows and reached over to squeeze suggestively at Ianto’s thigh; the gesture eliciting a quiet laugh from Ianto as he smacked Jack’s hand away.

“I suppose we should wake them,” Ianto said, half-turning to look at the trio curled up in the back of the car. Jack twisted himself around, a fond smile curling his lips as he eyed the other three members of his team. Owen was nestled between Toshiko and Gwen and despite his initial grumblings about being forced to take his turn in the back (and in the _goddamned_ middle no less) he appeared to be quite at peace as he protectively held both women in place against his chest; the three of them dead to the world as they slept snugly against one another.

Jack laughed softly, reaching over once again to squeeze at Ianto’s thigh before resting his hand there. Ianto allowed the touch this time, taking comfort in the gesture as he turned his head forward again, his gaze sweeping over the castle before them in interest.

Craig-y-Nos Castle; the location of some rather minor Rift activity that nevertheless Jack had insisted needed to be investigated. The castle just had to be located slap-bang in the middle of the Brecon Beacons, of course, and so Jack’s initial request for someone to accompany him on a routine investigation of the area had been met first with a heavy silence as no one offered themselves up to the task, and then by a sudden clamouring by everyone that they had far more important and pressing matters to attend to and thusly couldn’t make the trip. Jack hadn’t been fooled at all. Ianto had no doubt that Jack knew none of them had forgotten what their last foray into the Welsh countryside had entailed and that this was the main reason why none of his team were volunteering to accompany him.

And so, as a result of their own reluctance, Jack- being the considerate and caring Captain that he was- had decided that they were _all_ going and had them all packed and into the SUV before so much as a protest could be uttered. Or rather, a protest that was likely to change Jack’s mind and allow one of them to get out of what they all felt was a venture only intended to tempt fate.

The trip had begun in stony silence, with Jack driving and Owen cursing him two ways to Sunday as he adjusted with the radio settings, unable- or perhaps not wanting- to settle on anything for more than a few seconds at a time. Ianto, Gwen and Tosh had been piled into the backseat, with Tosh squeezed into the middle and fiddling intently with one of her handheld devices. Gwen was pouring over some trashy magazine whilst Ianto had been left to stare forlornly out of the window, watching as the heavens opened up, dumping what seemed to be the entire contents of the Bay and surrounding wetlands upon them as they left Cardiff and started on their way towards the Brecon Beacons and their eventual destination.

By the time they made their first pit-stop at an out of the way petrol station, Owen had exhausted himself into merely grumbling his protests under his breath (the radio firmly turned off after a few choice words and a particularly vicious glare from Gwen), his mutterings falling on deaf ears as everyone else chose to ignore him and occupy themselves with their own misery at being forced into this venture. The moment Jack pulled the SUV to a stop the four of them were out of it like a shot.

“Why does everything have to happen in the bloody countryside?” Owen complained loudly, slamming his door to emphasis his annoyance as Ianto set about refilling the tank. Tosh and Gwen shared a nervous look and Gwen rubbing unconsciously at her belly before the pair of them turned tail and headed towards the facilities. Ianto followed moments after to pay for their petrol.

“Nothing ever happens in the country, Owen.” Jack said with a roll of his shoulders as Owen felt the need to re-repeat himself for what had to be the umpteenth time.

“Er, have you forgotten about the cannibals already, Harkness?” Owen sneered.

“Oh come on, that was one time!” Jack protested, turning away to squint at the deserted stretch of road ahead of them. The rain had lightened itself to a steady drizzle, and Jack had no doubts it would wear itself out before they reached their destination. One could only hope the same could be said about Owen.

“One time too many,” Owen grumbled, watching a grin spit Jack’s face as Ianto returned in due swiftness with a tray of coffees and a plastic bag of assorted munchies for the trip ahead.

“Ah, Ianto, you are as ever my saviour!” Jack exclaimed, graciously accepting the proffered cup of coffee. Ianto smiled benignly at Jack before rolling his eyes at Owen’s glare.

“You know you can’t drink anything,” he answered patiently as Owen continued to scowl at him. “How much further have we still to go?” Ianto asked, turning to Jack once again and setting the tray of coffees upon the bonnet as he leant himself against the car.

“A couple more hours at the most,” Jack answered, “I should think we’d make it there just after nightfall.”

“Are we likely to be ambushed and eaten along the way?” Owen asked waspishly.

“Jeez, are you ever going to let this go?” Jack exclaimed, throwing one hand into the air in exasperation.

“Probably not, no,” Owen answered honestly, an almost-smile twisting his lips.

“Look,” Jack started as if about to give a lecture to a very trying four-year-old, “the Beacons encompass a great expanse of space. We are nowhere near that village, and even if we were, all the villagers have been removed and dealt with. The countryside isn’t all that bad, Owen, no matter how much you’d like to protest otherwise.”

“And yet there’s still weird shit going on.” Owen mocked.

“A few odd readings on the rift monitor,” Jack waved his hand dismissively.

“And a few ghost sightings, if I may, sir,” Ianto added. Jack turned to gape rather unattractively at him. Ianto shrugged, sipping at his coffee to hide his grin as Owen started up again.

“You neglected to mention that bit!” Owen snapped.

Jack griped his thanks to Ianto, who lowered his cup to smile winningly at him despite the obvious sarcasm.

“Was there anything else you forgot to tell us about?” Owen felt the need to ask. He folded his arms across his chest and looked expectantly at Jack

“Who forgot to say what?” Gwen asked, as she and Toshiko came up behind Owen. Both women smiled their thanks as Ianto handed over their coffees.

“Jack didn’t tell us that there have been a few ghost sightings at this place we’re heading to.” Owen answered with a glare in Jack’s direction.

Gwen laughed, “oh come on, Owen, you don’t believe in ghosts do you?”

“Oi, you may not have been in this job long enough to realise that these things can and do actually exist, but the rest of us have.”

Gwen frowned through her smile. “Do the rest of you believe in ghosts?” She asked, her eyes flickering between the four of them.

Ianto shrugged his answer, Jack grinned widely but said nothing, and Toshiko bit at her lip with indecision.

“I just don’t think there’s any way to scientifically prove that paranormal beings exist,” Toshiko said and Gwen’s grin reinforced itself.

“So, let me get this right,” she began, turning to Owen, “you’re the only one who believes in spooks then?”

“Oh shut up,” Owen snapped, “I’m sure you never believed in aliens before joining Torchwood.”

“Well, yes, but I’ve seen them now.” She said and Owen rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest with a scowl as she added with put upon seriousness, “have you _actually_ seen a ghost?”

Jack shot a slanting glance to Ianto before speaking up and saving Owen from actually answering. “Look, the existence of ghosts or not, this is a castle we’re staying in. And like every other castle in existence it has a rather ripe history of ghost sightings. So unless people are seeing things that are previously undocumented I think it’ll be safe to assume that these sightings are unrelated to the readings we’ve been getting.”

Four pairs of eyes turned to stare blankly at him.

“Did you just tell us to _assume_ that these two events could be unrelated?” Toshiko shot him an intense look.

Jack held up his hands in mock defence, “I’m just saying-,”

“We can’t just _assume_ these things, Jack!” She pushed on, frowning at him. “If we did that we may as well assume that these rift readings aren’t anything important and head back to the hub.”

“I’m all for that!” Owen jumped in, throwing out his hand, “Hand over the keys, Captain, and I’ll have us back to base before you can blink.”

Jack huffed. “We’re not going back to the Hub,” he gave them all a determined stare, “we’re going to this castle and we’re taking readings and if I hear any more complaints about it I’ll put the four of you up for camping and keep the apartments to myself. Got it?”

The four of them gaped at him for a moment before turning away and making to get back into the SUV.

“Owen, backseat! It’s Ianto’s turn up front.” Jack called out when Owen tried to slip into the front seat again. The glare he got was withering but soon forgotten as Owen began quibbling with the girls over who had to sit in the middle.

“That was remarkably well handled,” Ianto complimented as Jack turned back towards him.

“No thanks to you,” Jack grumbled, “aren’t you supposed to be on my side in all this?”

“I didn’t know we were taking sides,” Ianto answered.

“Are you being wide?” Jack asked, frowning at him.

“Sir?”

Jack’s eyes narrowed, “Are you mocking me, Ianto?”

“Not at all, sir,” Ianto replied, though the spark in his eyes belied his words. Jack frowned at him again; Ianto only ever called him ‘sir’ nowadays when he was being a tease or mightily pissed off. All things considered, Jack wasn’t sure he could assume it was the former. With a pout he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the car keys before handing them to Ianto.

“I’m driving?” Ianto blinked, taking the proffered keys. Jack nodded.

“I’m sure Owen will have a few more choice words to share with us once we get going again. I’d hate to get distracted whilst listening to his tirade and crash the car.”

“Most considerate of you,” Ianto agreed, still smiling but making no move to get into the car.

“What is it?” Jack asked, warily.

“Would we be telling them about the disappearances now, sir?”

“One disappearance,” Jack stressed through clenching teeth, his voice lowering so as not to let the others overheard, “and stop calling me sir.”

“That we know about.” Ianto persisted, with a pointed look. “Sir.”

Jack threw his head back with a groan. “Were you lot always this much work?” he grumbled. Ianto let out a soft laugh and Jack shot him a suspicious look.

“You’re just out of practice, Jack.” Ianto said, smiling more genuinely now.

“Out of practice, eh?” Jack stepped forward, all but leering as he reached for Ianto. “You weren’t saying that last-,”

“-I’m sure it’s nothing you cannot correct with a little help.” Ianto hastily interrupted with a warning look.

“And are you offering to help me?” Jack asked, moving his hands to rest on Ianto’s hips.

“That depends,” Ianto said, dragging his index finger over the lapels of Jack’s coat before firmly pushing him away.

“On what?” Jack pouted, watching as Ianto moved towards the driver’s side door.

“On whether you play nice for the rest of this trip.” He smiled winningly before moving away and making to get into the car.

“Me?” Jack huffed, wanting to point out that he felt he’d been playing rather fairly considering the rest of them had had nothing more than complaints to offer since they’d set off that morning. But Ianto had already closed his door and was fiddling with his seatbelt. Even Owen and the girls had stopped their squabbling enough to force Owen into the middle seat where he sat with his arms folded and a petulant expression upon his face.

“Oh fine,” Jack muttered, stalking around to the passenger side door and getting into the SUV without another word.

\- - -

“We probably should wake them up,” Jack said, dragging Ianto’s thoughts back to the present as he turned from watching the sleeping trio in the backseat of the SUV to shooting Ianto a wicked looking grin. “Or we could leave them here, check in, and christen their rooms before they’re any the wiser.”

Ianto’s laugh was lost in a sudden inhaling of air as Jack slipped the hand resting so unobtrusively upon his leg further up his thigh, causing Ianto to shift a little in his seat.

“Jack-,” The name came out slightly strangled as Jack’s hand continued to inch its way upwards. Ianto reached out, one hand curling around Jack’s wrist as if to stop him. Jack paused momentarily.

“Jack, this is hardly the most appropriate- _oh!_ ” Ianto bit at his lip as Jack’s hand moved- lightning-fast- to mould itself over the front of his pants, expert fingers pressing and rubbing in a way that was sure to get him hot and bothered within seconds if he didn’t find some way to dissuade Jack’s actions.

Then Jack leant over, breathing heavily against Ianto’s ear and Ianto found it suddenly hard to think as he stared unseeingly ahead, his mouth parting to draw in short pants of air.

“Sorry, you were saying?” Jack purred; his voice low and gravelly. He flicked his tongue against the lobe of Ianto’s ear, causing the other man to bite sharply at his bottom lip, cutting back the whimper he felt building up within him. Jack started pressing wet, open-mouthed kisses along his jaw, his hand continuing to move against Ianto’s crotch, urging him to hardness.

“Jack,” Ianto tried, his voice strangled as Jack continued to manipulate him, “don’t make me-,”

“-what?” Jack interrupted, his other hand feeling for Ianto’s belt buckle as he breathed his words wetly into Ianto’s ear, “don’t make you scream? Don’t make you come so hard and so fast you’ll- ARGH!”

Ianto’s hands shot up suddenly to slam at the horn, causing it to emit a high-pitched honking that sounded through the otherwise peaceful silence of the night, startling Jack away from him (his head thumping off the roof of the SUV in his haste) and awakening their three backseat passengers with varying cries of alarm.

Ianto smiled innocently enough, his flushed face hidden by the darkness of the car as he looked up into the rear view mirror and welcomed them all to Craig-y-Nos Castle. Owen was cursing him colourfully whilst Tosh was slumped up against the window with her hand over her heart. Gwen glared daggers at him through the mirror.

“You know, Ianto,” she said, breathing heavily through her fright, “a prod in the side would have done the trick just as well.” She groped for the door handle and stumbled out of the car, the others following after her a moment later.

Once they were all out Ianto chanced a look towards Jack who pinned him with such an intense glare that Ianto felt his mouth run dry. Jack said nothing. Ianto just smiled all the more widely at him.

\- - -

“Here we are, room number twenty-five, the Gatehouse apartment,” Jack inserted the key into the lock and turned, opening the door onto a luxuriously decorated lounge area. He whistled appreciatively as they stepped inside, eyeing everything from the oak flooring, to the expensively plush couches and the heavy drapes which had been closed over what appeared to be a double floor to ceiling window.

“There are three bedrooms, two on the upper floors and one through the door to the left,” Ianto pointed out, dumping his duffle on the floor beside Jack.

“Can we actually afford to stay in an apartment like this?” Toshiko asked, stepping up beside him.

“You’d rather we went camping?” Owen asked, throwing his bag onto a large coffee table and sprawling himself over the nearest couch.

“Well no,” Tosh answered with a shudder.

“It was either this or a mixed dorm with bunk beds,” Ianto answered. “And I suspect I’m right in assuming that no one wishes I’d picked that option.”

“I think it’s lovely!” Gwen cooed, moving about the room, touching at the ornaments on display as she went.

Jack slanted a look at Ianto and he rolled his eyes. “Yes, we can afford it,” he answered without prompting and Jack nodded his head before moving off towards the stairwell to investigate both the en-suite and upper loft bedrooms.

“This one’s got a double bed,” Gwen called, popping her head into the ground-floor bedroom.

Jack appeared a moment later. “The loft’s a twin room, but the first floor one is a double too. Look’s like some of us will have to share.” He grinned widely at the idea.

“Not so,” Ianto said with a smile, “I have it under good authority that the couches fold out into beds too.”

“Well you can take the sofa-bed if you want, tea-boy,” Owen started, “but I’m tagging a room for myself, unless anyone wants to share with an un-dead insomniac?” He winked at Tosh, who turned away to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks.

“I don’t mind sharing a bed with Tosh,” Gwen offered, looking at Jack, “if you and Ianto want the twin-room?”

“Oh, I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” Jack answered. “Ianto?” He called, turning to look at the other man. Ianto eyed him for a moment.

“I think it might be considered improper to share a room, never mind a bed, with you whilst on a mission, sir.” Ianto answered wryly. Jack grinned wickedly at him, moving slowly down the stairs till he was standing level with Ianto once more.

“I’m sure your boss won’t mind one bit, Mr. Jones.” He said, dipping down to lift both his and Ianto’s duffle bags before turning on his heel and making straight for the loft bedroom, as if that answered everything. Ianto bit back a smile, ignoring Owen’s gagging motions and the girls’ not-so subtle gushing as he shook his head and followed Jack up into their room.

No sooner had he stepped into the room than he found himself being crowded up against the door, Jack’s arms coming up to cage him on either side as he leant down close enough that every breath he exhaled tingled at Ianto’s mouth.

“Alone at last,” Jack growled at him and swooped in to catch at Ianto’s lips, pulling a deep and lingering kiss from him which Ianto eagerly returned; his arms coming up to curl themselves around Jack’s shoulders, whilst he threaded a hand through Jack’s dark hair, urging him nearer.

Jack stepped in closer, his arms dropping to encircle Ianto’s waist and pull the other man flush against him. Their mouths moved wetly against one another’s for long minutes, their hips beginning aborted thrusts as the first stirrings of true desire rushed through their bodies.

“Jack?” Gwen’s voice called up seconds later and Jack pulled his mouth away with another growl. “Jack we’re all set up down here, are you and Ianto coming down?”

“If I ignore her, do you think she’ll go away?” Jack asked, leaning in again. Ianto just laughed, turning his cheek to Jack’s kiss and slipping easily from his arms in the same moment. Jack huffed, turning and watching as Ianto readjusted his suit and licked the wetness from his lips.

“I think she’ll come up here and drag you down if you don’t answer her.” Ianto said, pointedly.

“Five more minutes?” Jack asked, pressing his lips into an almost-pout.

Ianto snorted, “You’re not that good.” He sniped and reached for the door. Jack grabbed at his arm, leaning in to breathe against his ear.

“I’m going to get you back for that little stunt you pulled in the car,” he warned and Ianto slanted a look at him.

“Oh, I don’t doubt that you will,” Ianto answered, “it just won’t be now.”

And he was out the door before Jack could retaliate with either kisses or words.

\- - -

When Jack made his way downstairs a moment later, it was to find that Toshiko had set up her laptop and a printer and was, with the help of Gwen, putting together a profile on the hotel and its history as well as setting up a program to read for any fluctuations in activity from the rift. Owen was laying out an array of equipment and weaponry on the coffee table, checking batteries, loading cartridges and ensuring that everything from their stun guns to their Bluetooth communication devices were in complete working order. Ianto was in a corner of the room, working his mojo on a sorry looking excuse for a kettle with the intention of preparing coffees for the rest of them.

“Right, so, what have we got?” Jack asked, clapping his hands together and sitting himself on one of the couches. Gwen passed him a freshly-made folder and he opened it, eyes flickering over the content.

“Nothing too sinister about the building itself,” Gwen began, sitting beside Toshiko and reading from her own folder. “An Adelina Patti had the castle as an estate until the early nineteen-hundreds when she passed away. It became a TB sanatorium after her death for a number of years, and then a geriatric hospital before eventually being bought over and turned into the hotel it is at the moment. Um, the Castle is still under construction, and according to the hotel’s website, it still has most of the original rooms from when this was a hospital. There are still ward floors and even, get this,” she began, scrunching her nose in distaste, “they even have an embalming slab in the cellar.”

“Wicked,” Owen interrupted and Gwen rolled her eyes at him before smiling as Ianto stepped in and handed over the coffee. Owen slouched back into his seat with an unimpressed look and Ianto took a seat beside him, thanking Toshiko as she handed over another folder for him.

“The website also says that they hold ghost tours and séances here in the castle,” Toshiko said, sipping at her coffee.

“And what about the Rift?” Jack asked. “Is there a way to tell when it first started affecting the area? How often it has spiked since? Any way of predicting when it will spike again?”

Toshiko nodded, “Yes,” she answered, “but you’re not going to like it.”

Jack sat forward and Toshiko adjusted her spectacles.

“I’ve been working on a, a side project if you will, using the Rift prediction program. I’ve been trying to determine what the varying levels of fluctuation in the Rift readings mean and I’ve deduced so far that the Rift works with negative and positive spikes. A positive spike is what we are alerted for; it means something has come through the Rift. But it also produces negative spikes and- I’m only theorising here as I don’t have evidence to support the claim- but I suspect that the negative spikes occur when the Rift is taking something from us.”

Ianto looked up and towards Jack who turned to look at him also.

“There are quite a few negative spikes in relation to this area, Jack,” Toshiko continued, eyes intent upon her laptop. “Some positives too, but mostly they’re negative ones.”

“Hey,” Owen interrupted, and everyone turned to him. He looked between Jack and Ianto. “What was that look for?”

“What look?” Ianto asked, shifting his folder on his knees and raising his coffee for a quick sip. Owen scowled at him.

“The one you two just shared whilst Tosh was blabbing on about her Rift readings. No offence, Tosh.” He added before turning to glare at Jack, “The look that all but screamed out that you two know something the rest of us aren’t privy to.”

Jack pursed his lips and flicked his eyes to Ianto’s before spreading his hands. “There may have been a recent disappearance in the area I neglected to mention.” He confessed.

“For god’s sake, Jack,” Gwen was the first to break the sudden silence, “why on earth didn’t you think to tell us this earlier?”

“Look, it was hard enough getting you all here in the first place,” he answered honestly before shrugging, “I was working up to it.”

“And how come tea-boy here got to know about it before the rest of us?” Owen griped and Ianto had the puerile urge to stick his tongue out at him.

“Because Ianto was the one who linked the Rift reading to the disappearance,” Jack said.

“Oh, so it’s his fault we’re all here then?” Owen asked, turning to glare now at Ianto who couldn’t resist the urge to at least roll his eyes at Owen.

“It’s no one’s fault,” Jack said firmly, “Or at least, it was my decision to check it out, and since none of you were willing to volunteer I felt it only fair to bring you all. Now enough,” he said turning to Toshiko and ending any further discussion on the subject. “Tosh you were talking about the Rift and your readings,” Jack began, “how often have there been spikes in your readings, either positive or negative?”

“It seems to happen in clusters, every dozen or so years there appears to be numerous spikes in the same area over a couple of days, perhaps a week at the most. Out with that there are spikes every couple of years with perhaps one or two negatives occurring.”

“There don’t seem to be many missing persons reports for the area though,” Gwen interrupted.

“The Rift doesn’t necessarily always take people,” Jack answered, “It could be taking animals or objects too. Things that no one else may even notice have gone missing.”

Gwen nodded and made a few notes in the margins of her folder.

“Tosh, is there any way to tell when the next cycle is due to take place?”

“Well, according to my reading, I’d say we’ve arrived just in time for the next one.”

“Oh now isn’t that just peachy,” Owen huffed. Ianto shifted beside him, looking none too impressed himself. “And just how are we meant to tackle a rift in time and space intent on eating people? I mean seriously though, do we have protection against this kind of thing?”

“Keep your Bluetooth on you at all times and if your EMF reader starts going haywire, get the hell out of wherever you are as fast as you can?” Was Ianto’s helpful suggestion. Jack just nodded.

“That’s pretty much spot on,” he agreed slowly, watching as everyone turned to him with varying degrees of ‘horrified’ written across their faces. He clapped his hands together and adopted a cheery expression, “Now, who wants to go exploring?”

\- - -

Thankfully, Jack had allowed them all a nights rest before forcing them out into an exploration of the castle and its grounds with the intention of both finding a source for the Rift and a way to explain how said Rift had managed to keep up a cycle of abductions over the years without anyone noticing. There had been a few half-hearted jokes by Owen about the Rift being somewhat sentient this far out in the countryside and that’s why everything had gone to pot in the Beacons, but not even he’d been laughing as he armed himself with an EMF reader and set out with Gwen to explore one wing of the castle whilst Jack and Ianto took to the other.

Tosh had been lucky enough to convince Jack that she should stay behind in the apartment as from there she could coordinate their progress, alert them all to any impending spikes and also finish her map of the area which would allow them to pinpoint down to the exact acre which areas of Craig-y-Nos Castle the spikes had previously appeared, where they were appearing (when they appeared), and where they were likely to next appear.

“I feel like one of those ghost hunters you find repeated every hour on Living,” Ianto muttered, waving the EMF reader Owen had given him back and forth as he and Jack explored the south wing of the castle. They’d been supplied with a map from reception and after a quiet word with the manager, had been given a skeleton key to allow them in to any room of the hotel which they required access to. Though they had been strictly warned against entering any of the occupied suits for the time being.

“Since when do you have time to watch TV?” Jack asked as they entered what appeared to have at one point been a theatre. They entered from the back of the room, the floor angling down towards the stage area- huge velvety red curtains hung half off their rails over the stage, the fabric dust-laden and moth-eaten, much like the rest of the room.

“Insomnia,” Ianto said by way of answer as he wove his way between the seating, his eyes intent on the EMF reader in his palm. This whole endeavour had become pretty boring and routine after the first couple of hours spent searching the hotel, once the initial fear-filled adrenaline had worn off at least. They’d started on the ground floor and methodically checked their way up towards the third floor and this once upon a time theatre.

“Insomnia, huh?” Jack chuckled, hands on his hips as he stood in the middle of the main isle and looked over the room, “How come I didn’t know that?” He turned to Ianto who looked up at Jack through his lashes, a small smile on his lips.

“I think it’s impossible for anyone to have trouble sleeping after a night with you, Jack.” He answered and Jack grinned widely. Ianto shook his head and continued to move through the rows, methodically waving the EMF reader to-and-fro and almost despairing at its determination to not read anything at all.

“Are we sure these things are working?” He asked after a moment. He smacked the device against his hand as if doing so would suddenly encourage the device to light up like a Christmas tree. Stubbornly, it didn’t so much as issue a whir of protest. “Maybe I should have checked the batteries myself.”

“Owen’s not an idiot, Ianto,” Jack said, appearing at his side, “he knows how to check whether our equipment is working or not.”

“Still,” Ianto muttered, “I should probably have made sure…”

“Honestly, Ianto, you’d think you _wanted_ something to happen.”

“Well if it means getting this whole mission over and done with, then a little blip here and there wouldn’t be too bad.”

Jack laughed. “I’ll remind you that you said that when something does happen. Come on, there’s nothing happening in this room,” he said and made his way onto the stage. Ianto followed, accepting Jack’s hand as he reached down and helped pull Ianto up after him. They left footprints in their wake as they stepped across the stage, the floor thick with dust that puffed up in little clouds at every disturbance.

The whole room smelled of must and neglect though through it all Ianto could tell that it had been a grand space in its time. He assumed that this room was one of those in which the initial owner, Madame Patti, had entertained her guests. It was said that in her time she’d been a much sought after opera singer, her voice powerful enough to carry right across a room this size without any kind of amplifying aid.

“Ianto, are you coming?” Jack called to him and Ianto turned. Jack had slipped through the curtains to the left of the stage and Ianto could make out a dull light coming from the directions- presumably he’d found a doorway leading through towards a backstage area of some description. He was just about to follow when he thought he heard something… something like… singing?

Ianto frowned, turning to look out across the dimly lit theatre. Most of it was swathed in shadows and hidden to his searching eyes. But, yes, he could definitely make out the soft strains of a woman’s voice. He looked hurriedly down towards his EMF reader but it appeared dead to the world.

“Jack?” He called out, flicking his flashlight on and pointing it out across the room. The singing, though still wordless to his ears, appeared to be getting louder. Jack didn’t answer him. Ianto turned, shining his torch towards the left hand side of the stage, but there was no sign of Jack or the light he’d seen only moments ago.

“Jack?” Ianto called again, his heart beginning a staccato rhythm even as he forced himself to breathe deep and evenly. He reached up with his right hand, keeping the beam of torchlight shining directly ahead of him even as he pressed to activate his Bluetooth.

“Jack? Toshiko? Anyone there?” It took one heart-stopping moment before he heard an answer.

 _“Ianto? It’s Tosh, is everything alright?”_

He breathed a sigh of relief, “Hey Tosh, listen, have you got any readings on your end? I’m in the south-wing, in what used to be a theatre. I’m hearing music but I’m getting nothing on the EMF.”

 _“Nothing’s shown up yet, but give me a minute and I’ll set a search on your location specifically.”_

“Thanks, Tosh. While you’re at it, could you possibly search for life signs too? I seem to have misplaced Jack.”

 _“Misplaced?”_

There was a distinct note of alarm in her voice as it crackled over his comms. Ianto swallowed heavily, nodding to himself as he debated between staying where he was or following in the direction he’d last seen Jack disappearing into.

“He stepped into another room before I heard the music start up, I haven’t followed yet but he’s not answering.”

Toshiko was worryingly silent for a moment longer before her voice came through his earpiece once again.

 _“Okay, good news on both counts, there’s still no readings in your location and according to my analysis Jack is… actually he’s coming up behind you.”_

“Behind me? He can’t-,” Ianto stopped speaking and frowned, feeling the fine hairs on the back of his neck standing to attention as a prickle of sudden awareness shivered its way down his spine. He was still staring off towards stage left. If anyone was behind him they’d have had to come from stage right. Jack went off stage left. Ianto’s palms were worryingly moist and he shifted his stance slightly in preparation of turning and facing whoever (or whatever) was there.

 _“Ianto? Ianto, is everything alright?”_

Ianto adjusted his grip on his torch, realising that that with both hands occupied he’d have to use it as a weapon rather than risk juggling both it and his EMF reader and reaching for his gun. He took a deep breath, swiftly turned himself upon his heel, and promptly let out a cry of surprise as Jack jumped out towards him, a mocking ‘ _boo_ ’ echoing across the stage.

Ianto cursed loudly, hitting out at Jack with his torch anyway, “I am going to _fucken kill_ you, Jack Harkness!” He shouted, his heart thumping violently against his chest as he gasped for breath. Jack only laughed, stepping closer and drawing Ianto into his arms.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Ianto gasped against his chest, feeling the rumble of another laugh vibrating through Jack. He scowled deeply and pulled away.

“Hey, you were the one looking for some excitement here,” He grinned, releasing Ianto.

“That isn’t what I meant and you know it!” Ianto hissed, smacking at Jack with his flashlight once more. Jack laughed again. “You’d be laughing out the other side of your face if I’d had my gun in my hand,” he snapped and Jack stopped laughing enough to hold his hands up in surrender, a contrite expression falling over his face.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. It was very immature and thoughtless of me,” he reached out for Ianto, drawing him closer, “forgive me?” He widened his eyes a little with the plea.

 _“Ianto are you there? Are you alright?”_

Toshiko’s voice crackled through his Bluetooth once again and Jack smiled a little sheepishly as he reached up to activate his own comms.

“Hey, Tosh, we’re both here and doing alright,” he answered under Ianto’s unimpressed scowl.

 _“Ianto?”_ Tosh called for him anyway and Jack rolled his eyes as Ianto reached up to press at his own earpiece, accidentally (on purpose) shining his torch into Jack’s eyes with the gesture.

“I’m here, Tosh. Jack was just fooling around. We’ll continue on and check in again when we’re on our way back.” He lowered and pocketed the flashlight, watching as Jack blinked back his sight.

“I take it I’m not forgiven then?” he asked, squinting at Ianto who snorted in answer.

“I think you’re going to have to make it up to me, Captain,” Ianto said, “and then _maybe_ I’ll think about forgiving you.” Jack smiled, his hands tugging at Ianto’s hips.

“And how can I possibly make it up to you?” He asked charmingly but Ianto was having none of it, even as he allowed himself to be pulled more fully into Jack’s arms.

“For a start you can tell me if you can hear that singing.” He looked pointedly at Jack who frowned a moment before moving away and staring out across the theatre.

“When did that start?” He asked, looking at Ianto who crossed his arms.

“Oh, not all that long after you slipped off stage.” He answered pointedly and Jack swallowed heavily.

“Ah.” He said. Ianto nodded slowly.

“I had Tosh check the area but she found nothing. But who knows, maybe my getting her to search for your life signs as well put her off. What do you think?”

“I think I’m not being forgiven anytime soon?” Jack hazarded and Ianto smiled.

“You think right.” He agreed. “Come on, let’s check out the singing. It sounds as though it’s coming from one of the boxes at the side there.”

“There are some stairs behind the stage that’ll take us to them,” Jack agreed, weathering Ianto’s glare as he led them off the stage.

They were silent as they made their way towards the boxes on the right side of the room. The doors leading into them were stiff with age and disuse but a good kicking down from Jack soon got them both access into the first of them. The signing could still be heard, but Ianto was almost certain that the direction it was coming from had changed.

“Jack?” He questioned with a frown and Jack nodded and pointed out towards the stage where a dull light had come on directly overhead. Ianto could make out the footprints they’d left in the dust as he shuffled towards the edge of the box and peered down onto the stage. He looked down at his EMF reader.

“Still nothing,” he muttered, “I’m going to kill Owen if these batteries are dead.” He looked upwards once again, staring out towards the stage with trepidation.

Jack stepped up beside him, and as he did the light in the middle of the stage flared brightly, the singing swelling against his ears, the words bleeding themselves into his brain till with a barely-suppressed gasp Jack realised he knew the song being sung. With the recognition came what could only be described as the hallucination as upon the stage he saw himself standing with his arms wrapped tightly around another man.

They both stood in uniform and clutched at each other with a desperation he felt clenching so desperately at his heart even now. The men on stage parted from their dance momentarily before coming together with a kiss so passion-filled and heart-breaking than Jack felt his gasp wrenched from his throat. He gripped the edge of the box so tightly, splinters and chunks of rotting wood crumbled beneath his fingers but he didn’t seem to notice as he watched unfold before his eyes his one and only night spent with his namesake all those many, many months ago.

“Jack?” Ianto’s voice was soft, echoing hollowly against his ears as he called to him, trying to drag him away from the sight before his eyes. Ianto’s fingers were cold upon his cheek as they traced the tears which escaped his eyes, but he didn’t move in recognition of the touch, not until the two men- the memory?- on stage parted. The vision of himself disappeared with a flash whist the vision of the real Jack Harkness turned to look directly at him before saluting him and disappearing into the same flash of light.

The light on stage went out just as suddenly as the song itself ended, the theatre descending into darkness and silence and Jack came back to himself with another gasp. Ianto was watching him worriedly, his hands on Jack’s face, his thumbs wiping at his tears.

“Jack?” He whispered and Jack leant forward, clutching Ianto towards him in the tightest of hugs. The EMF reader at Ianto’s feet was flashing wildly.

\- - -

Ianto wasn’t entirely sure what he’d seen in the theatre. Even now, back in their apartments, with Owen tending to the splinters and cuts on Jack’s hands, Ianto found himself hard pressed to put into words exactly what had happened whilst they’d been standing in the box overlooking the stage. Jack had only let himself be held for mere minutes before pulling himself together and leading them both back down towards the stage. He’d been cautious, warning Ianto to stay close just in case, but by the time they’d made their way onto the stage, Ianto’s EMF had silenced itself. There was nothing left to be found or read and Ianto was left wondering at the ghostly spectres he’d seen which had affected Jack so very deeply.

Upon their return, Toshiko had confirmed that she’d picked up on the readings, but had been unable to reach them through their Bluetooth during the spike, which she confirmed as having been a negative. Ianto sat with her whilst Jack went to wash up and he told her what he’d seen, or thought he’d seen, and how it had affected Jack. Tosh was silent for the most part, though her expression softened to one of sadness the longer he continued.

“Do you remember when Jack and I were trapped in the nineteen-forties?” Toshiko asked when he’d finished and Ianto nodded, looking away.

“I thought it might have been him,” he confessed, “but I wasn’t sure. I guess I didn’t realise just how- _intense_ \- things were between them.”

Toshiko took his hand. “Jack knew that the Captain was going to die,” she said, “I do think that played a rather large part in things. Not that I’m saying Jack’s love for him wasn’t real, it _was_ intense, but it was the period, the knowledge it was his last night alive, the fear even that _we_ might not have made it back home at all. Oh Ianto,” she squeezed at his fingers and he smiled gently at her.

“He’s never spoken about it,” he began then stopped as Jack made his way back into the lounge and Gwen and Owen both arrived back at the apartment after checking out a disused chapel in the west wing. It was a flurry of activity after that with Owen tending to Jack, and Toshiko updating her figures, and Gwen heading off to speak with the manager about any impending missing persons that might crop up. Ianto took it upon himself to make them all some coffee and to see about getting lunch ordered. He tried not to notice just how broody Jack looked as Owen finished with his hands and left him sitting with only his memories to occupy his mind.

\- - -

“Joseph Raynor. He is- or was- a mid-thirty, married to the job, businessman on a weekend away with his mistress,” Owen smirked as if this was the best joke he’d heard in a long time. “The mistress, a Ms Everest swears she doesn’t know anything about his disappearance. Claims he got up to go to the loo and never came back out. When she went to check on him, she found the bathroom empty and she’s adamant he didn’t just slip out without her noticing. The disappearance happened around the same time you guys got your readings,” he looked between Jack and Ianto.

“The first person to disappear in this cycle was also male,” Gwen began, “A Mr. Walsh, recently widowed, early sixties, on his first weekend away since his wife’s passing. He’s said to have spent most of his time in the library or walking the grounds. Wasn’t reported missing until he failed to check out and the management were unable to trace him. His car and belongings are still here.

“Okay,” Jack said, “to sum up, we have two men and two disappearances so far. And coinciding with these are two negative rift spikes.” Everyone nodded their agreement. “Gwen, I know you said there weren’t many missing persons reports for the area but I want you to see what you can find regardless, and then see if Tosh here can’t match them up to some of the readings she’s managed to unearth for the Rift over the last decade or two. I want to know if there’s any kind of pattern going on here or off the Rift is just picking at random.”

Jack turned to Owen, “I want you to check on Ms Everest and the room she’s in. I want any readings you can still pick up if at all possible. Then check with the management and get them to give you access to Mr Walsh’s belongings in case there’s anything to find there.”

Owen looked put out but voiced no objections as he gathered his belongings together. Gwen was already on the phone to the local police department and Toshiko appeared to be standing by to receive any information they were able to send. Jack turned then to Ianto and stood, gesturing for him to follow. They collected their own belongings before exiting the apartment.

Ianto didn’t ask where they were going at first, and then the further they walked he realised he didn’t have to as they retraced their footsteps back towards the neglected theatre.

“I’ve been wondering,” Jack began as they stepped back into the musty-smelling room, “why is it that we saw an echo of the past- of _my_ past anyway- but neither of us were taken? Presumably Mr Raynor never saw or heard anything, or if he did it was something his mistress wasn’t aware of. It could have been a warning. Or even a message.”

“A message saying what?” Ianto asked from Jack’s side.

“Perhaps one of us is next.” He answered. “Perhaps _I’m_ next to be taken.”

“Or perhaps it’s as Owen said and the Rift is sentient this far out in the Beacons.” Ianto’s tone was wry and Jack looked at him for the first time since they’d left their apartments.

“I saw what you saw too, Jack.” Ianto said, “I don’t know why we saw it, but if its purpose had been to snatch you away then I suspect that you’d be gone. I do not believe that the Rift can pick and chose its victims. It goes against everything we know about the how the Rift works.”

“What do you think is happening then?” Jack asked, turning his body towards Ianto and Ianto shrugged, his gaze sweeping across the many rows of seats lining the theatre floor.

“I think someone- or some _thing_ \- must be manipulating the Rift.” He answered slowly and Jack nodded, thoughtful.

“Yet at the same time you don’t think what we saw could have been a message or warning of any kind?” He pressed and Ianto grimaced.

“I don’t want to think that it was either of those.” Ianto replied.

“Why not?” Jack asked and Ianto looked down at the EMF reader cradled protectively in his palm. It was utterly still.

“Because… because that’d mean we’re dealing with another Bilis Manger. Perhaps even Bilis himself. And I’d rather we didn’t go through all that again.”

“Hey,” Jack touched at Ianto’s arm and attempted a smile, “it’s not like we can open the Rift from here anyway.”

“That’s not even funny, Jack.” Ianto frowned at him.

Jack shrugged, “Look, all we really have to worry about here is avoiding being snatched by the Rift whilst finding a way to stop anyone else from being taken too.”

“That easy, huh?” Ianto snorted before turning suddenly to face Jack. “Why do you think you saw him?” He blurted out.

Jack opened his mouth to speak only to falter on the words. Ianto looked away. “It’s okay, you don’t have to-,”

“I don’t know, Ianto.” He squeezed at Ianto’s arm, “I honestly don’t know.”

“Do you miss him?” he asked then shook his head. “Sorry. Of course you must.” He looked up and offered Jack a hesitant smile. “Bilis was crueller to you than he was to the rest of us.”

Jack didn’t smile but he did run his hand down Ianto’s arm, reaching for his hand and squeezing their fingers together.

“Despite what he did to you, you still overcame the need to save him. Not like the rest of us. We all leapt at the chance to open the Rift.”

“That doesn’t make you weak, Ianto. And it doesn’t make me a stronger person.”

“I think it does. You spent an entire evening with a man you loved. A man I suspect you would have traded places with in a heartbeat if you could have spared him his fate, if in doing so you wouldn’t have jeopardised the rest of the world. You’re a braver man than the rest of us.”

“What are you saying here, Ianto? That then is over and done with. It’s history. This now, while I don’t know what this is, I do not think we’re going to have to choose between those we love and destroying the world.”

Ianto looked off towards the stage, cloaked as it was in shadow he could still see in his minds eye the image of Jack and the Captain dancing together and how simply seeing the vision had so deeply affected Jack. He wondered for one selfish moment if Jack would mourn him just as intensely.

Jack tugged on his hand and Ianto looked up just as Jack stepped in and slipped his free arm about Ianto’s waist. Ianto automatically reached for Jack’s shoulder with his other hand, juggling his EMF reader even as he met Jack’s eyes in the darkness of the room.

“You don’t have to dance with me, Jack,” Ianto said softly, almost shyly.

Jack leant in and kissed briefly at his lips. “I want to dance with you.” He said simply, drawing Ianto against his chest and swaying them to a tune only he could hear.

\- - -

“I’ve got a meeting at the Ystradgynlais Police Station early this afternoon,” Gwen said, rushing down the stairs the next morning whilst pulling her coat on, “if it’s alright to take the SUV?” Though it was posed as a question, the fact that Gwen had already scooped up the keys and was shouldering her handbag let the rest of them know that it hadn’t really been meant as one.

Jack just waved his hand dismissively in her direction, already knowing that Gwen had arranged the appointment in order to gain access to the hard-copy files on all the missing persons for the area.

“Keep your phone on you,” he warned, looking up momentarily to see her nod her head before slipping out of their apartment. He turned back to hand held device Toshiko had given him to hold and pressed in a few commands she read off of an identical she herself was manipulating.

“They’re should both be set now,” she said after a further five minutes of command setting, she peered at Jack over her glasses as he held out his device for her approval. Toshiko smiled softly and nodded. “We’re ready then. And so long as you don’t split up-,” she shot him a pointed look, “-you’ll be warned in advance of any imminent Rift fluctuations.”

“You’re a genius, Tosh,” Jack grinned, purposefully ignoring her look, “I ever told you that?”

“Not nearly enough,” she answered, smiling again as Jack laughed and stood, calling for Ianto and Owen who were inspecting and packing their equipment for the day. They finished what they were doing before ambling over towards Jack and Toshiko.

“Tosh says we’re good to go. You two finished?” Jack inquired and they nodded their agreement. Owen handed over their Bluetooth devices whilst Ianto lifted one of the EMF readers from the coffee table beside Toshiko’s laptop.

“You’ll not need that anymore, Ianto,” she said, standing and fitting her Bluetooth.

“You’re not the one partnered with Jack,” he said wryly by way of answer and she grinned at him whilst Jack turned scowled.

“Jeez. That was one time, Ianto.” Jack rolled his eyes.

“One time too many,” Ianto returned, pocketing the EMF reader anyway before adopting a faux expression of innocence. “Just in case,” he grinned, dodging away as Jack made to cuff his arm.

“If you two are quite finished…?” Owen asked, crossing his arms. “Tosh and I are heading for the basement levels. I’ve an inkling to check out the mortuary,” he gave Toshiko a sly look, “and who knows, maybe we can play doctors and nurses while we’re down there, eh Tosh?”

“I don’t think they make nurses uniforms in your size, Owen,” she answered straight-faced and Owen laughed, stepping towards the door and holding it open for her with a grin which she dutifully ignored as she stepped past him.

“Keep your comms on,” Jack called after them. “I’d rather not take any chances, alright?”

“Sure thing, boss!” Came Owen’s blithe reply seconds before the door shut behind them.

“Where are we off to today then?” Ianto asked turning away from the door. Jack pressed a couple of buttons on the device he held.

“There’s a pool room on the east side of the castle I want to check out. The manager agreed to let us view it this morning, but we’ve only got until about ten o’clock before he re-opens it for the guests.” He pressed a few more buttons before looking up at Ianto with a wicked looking grin, “And maybe if you’re good I’ll take you skinny dipping,” he winked and Ianto flushed deeply when only seconds later Owen’s voice sounded through their earpieces as he made grossed-out hacking noises.

 _“If I have to listen to you two getting frisky I will kill you.”_ He promised after Jack told him to shut up. Ianto cleared his throat.

“Jack promises to play nice,” he said, his look sharp as he pointed Jack towards the door. “He won’t even make any impromptu passes or dodgy innuendoes for the duration of this search, will you, Jack?”

“I won’t?” Jack asked, grinning as they locked up the apartment and started on their way to the pool room. Ianto shot him another look, though this time it was coupled with Ianto leaning in and whispering into his free ear, “Not if you plan on getting laid tonight.” He bit lightly at Jack’s earlobe before moving swiftly away as Jack made to reach for him. He waggled his index finger and shook his hand with a _‘no, no’_ gesture. Jack scowled.

“No, I won’t.” He said aloud, scowling deeper as they heard laughter coming from both Toshiko and Owen moments before Owen started making whipping sounds.

“Keep that up Owen and I’ll make sure you’re on pterodactyl duty for a month,” Jack snapped. Owen laughed, but he did shut up.

“You’re no fun,” he hissed at Ianto as they moved through the castle.

“Oh, I don’t know about that, sir,” Ianto replied, a twinkle in his eye, “You’re just lacking my sense of humour.”

“Yes,” he agreed dryly, “I’m sure you’re being hilarious.”

 _“I’ll say!”_ Owen joined in with a laugh before yelping as, Jack suspected, Toshiko whacked at him.

 _“Ouch! What was that for?”_

 _“Stop being an arse, Owen.”_

 _“I’m not being an arse!”_

 _“Yes. You are.”_

“Maybe this open communication proposal wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had.” Jack said, pouting at Ianto who merely smiled brightly and walked on without a word as Owen and Toshiko continued to bicker back and forth.

\- - -

It only took two more minutes of listening to Tosh and Owen before Jack actively decided to revoke his command on open communication.

 _“Does this mean you and Ianto are about to get it on?”_ Was Owen’s first question at the new order, _“Wait, no! Don’t answer that. I’d actually rather not know.”_

“Tosh, if you come back without him,” Ianto said, rubbing at his temples, “I will back you up if you say the Rift took him.”

“Ianto!”

 _“Oi!”_

“I’m just saying,” Ianto held up his hands in defence before reaching for his earpiece and tuning out Owen’s new tirade with relief. Jack actually sighed as the nattering in his ear died abruptly. Then he looked up at Ianto, grinning again.

“ _Does_ this mean I can stop playing nice, now?” He asked hopefully.

“No.” Ianto instantly replied, shooting him down and moving forward to push at the double doors leading into the pool room.

\- - -

“Jack? Jack where the hell are you?” Ianto called out, his hand pressed up to activate his Bluetooth as he made his away across a terraced hallway a level above the pool room. He’d been pleasantly surprised to discover that this section of the castle had been built on as an extension rather than existing within the building itself. The whole room was lit with the natural light of early morning, with most of the east facing wall built completely of glass it served only to highlight the artistic stonework of the room as it circled around a deep set swimming pool located in the middle of the room.

It hadn’t been until he’d stepped further into the room however that he’d gasped in wonderment at the entirety of it. For, overhanging the entrance, and indeed most of the front wall, was a row of sectioned terraces; balconies much in likeness to those they’d seen in the theatre just the other day. These ones however, as he’d soon discovered after calling to Jack and heading up the nearest flight of stairs, had only gauzy curtains to serve as doors.

Ianto had known, even before he’d stepped into the first of the private balconies, that the view out into the gardens, and indeed the vaster expanse of the land stretching out across the Brecon Beacons would be more than breathtaking from their vantage point.

 _“Ianto?”_ A voice answered his call.

 _“Owen?”_

 _“Ianto?”_ And another.

“Tosh?”

 _“I was right behind you.”_ Jack responded seconds later.

“Jack?”

 _“I thought we weren’t meant to be splitting up, Harkness?”_

“We’re not,” Ianto griped, before, “Jack, you’d better not be sneaking up on me!”

 _“It really isn’t professional…”_

 _“I’m not! I thought-,”_

“Where are you?”

 _“Where are you?”_

“Not you, Owen! Jack? Where are you?”

 _“I’m down on the main floor-,”_

 _“-shouldn’t you be with Ianto?”_

 _“They really shouldn’t have split up. Jack, I’m seeing small spikes of activity at your location.”_

 _“I’m not getting any readings.”_

“My EMF reader isn’t picking up anything either,”

 _“Did you check the batteries?”_

“Owen was supposed to have done that.”

 _“I did! Thank you very much.”_

 _“You should have double checked.”_

“I did, actually.”

 _“Cheers, guys. So much for the trust, eh?”_

 _“You can’t really blame us,”_

“Well, it is you…”

 _“I can’t believe you-,”_

 _“Enough! Everyone.”_

Silence seemed to echo around all four of them as they instantly stopped their jumble of questions and comments.

 _“Okay. Ianto, I was right behind you,”_ Jack started, his voice crisp and clear over Ianto’s earpiece, _“but I though I saw something rush past me, by the time I turned back to you, you’d disappeared.”_

“You could just have said,” Ianto grumbled and moved out of the first balcony.

 _“I only turned around for a minute!”_ Jack stressed. _“You should have waited.”_ He paused. _“Where are you now?”_

“On the first floor landing, up by the balconies.”

 _“How did you get up there?”_ He could almost hear the frown in Jack’s voice.

“I walked up the stairs?” Ianto answered as if it were the dumbest question he’d ever had to answer. Owen could be heard sniggering over the Bluetooth.

 _“Right,”_ came Jack’s clipped answer to that. _“I’m coming up.”_

 _“Careful he’s not up to his usual tricks, Ianto!”_ Owen crowed before yelping out Toshiko’s name.

 _“Stop teasing, Owen, and help me get this door open.”_

 _“Yeah well, I was just saying!”_

 _“Yes well, just don’t.”_

“Jack?”

 _“Ianto?”_

“Just so you know, if you try to jump me this time? I won’t hesitate to shoot you.”

Owen laughed and taunted, _“you’d probably miss him, tea-boy!”_

Ianto smiled to himself, “But I’ve a full clip to aim with.” He answered sweetly.

 _“You wouldn’t really shoot me would you?”_ Jack asked, a smile to his voice.

“Jack, if you pull that same stint on me, I will empty the fucken cartridge into your skull.”

And Jack laughed outright at that, _“Well then it’s a real good thing I can’t die.”_

“Oh, I don’t want you dead, Jack,” Ianto exclaimed, “but a whole lot of pain wouldn’t go amiss, and I’m sure you’d feel-,” from the corner of his eye, Ianto thought he saw something rush by and stopped speaking abruptly. His gun was in his free hand before he’d finished turning in the direction he’d seen the movement come from.

“I swear to god, Jack, if that’s you I really will shoot you!” he hissed and heard all manner of cursing and exclamations coming through his earpiece.

“Shut up!” He hissed again, and inched slowly forward. His heart was a lump in his throat and already the fingers gripping at his gun were slicking themselves with adrenaline-induced sweat. He crept into one of the enclosed balconies, twisting to and fro to ensure that no one was hiding to the sides, waiting to spring on him the moment he turned direction. There was no one in the small space; it was filled only with two chaise longue couches pressed up against either wall.

 _“Ianto?”_ Jack’s tone was soft but urgent, _“What the hell is going?”_

“I thought I just saw something move past me. But there doesn’t seem to be anything in here.”

 _“In where? Ianto where are you?”_

Ianto opened his mouth to answer when suddenly his EMF reader started flashing wildly, emitting a high-pitched wail that startled him, causing him to jump with fright.

“Jack…” He called out, trying to control the tremor in his voice, “I don’t mean to alarm you but my EMF reader just lit up like it’s Guy Fawkes Night.”

 _“I’m getting readings, Ianto!”_ Toshiko’s voice sounded urgently and Ianto felt his mouth go unbearably dry. _“The Rift’s just spiked, something’s come through in your location.”_

 _“Ianto, what’s your position?”_

“First floor, balcony in the middle over looking the pool. Jack…”

 _“I’d get out of there now if I were you, mate.”_

 _“Ianto, I’m coming up the stairs on the left, I can’t see you!”_

“I’m…” Ianto had just moved to step out of the room when someone stepped into the entranceway blocking his path. He sucked in a startled breath before releasing a strangled moan as the same someone before him seemed to morph and merge, its first appearance altering until…

“Oh my god,” he gasped as pale skin turned to cinnamon brown and long, dark hair shrunk up to a jet-black crop.

“Ianto,” The new form called, reaching out towards him and Ianto stumbled backwards away from the woman approaching him. He couldn’t even speak. Someone was screaming his name over his earpiece. More than one someone. It all sounded like a wordless buzz, an inconsequential din compared to the rush of blood assailing his senses as- _oh god, oh god_ \- Lisa, his beloved Lisa, appeared to stand before him.

He opened his mouth to call her name. To call _Jack’s_ name. But before the words could form, the vision before him was breaking up, dispersing itself into a cloud of blackened mist that hovered momentarily before him until with a _whoosh_ and a gurgled scream it rushed _at_ him. The last thing he heard was screaming and vaguely he wandered if it was his own. Then everything went black.

\- - -

“Jesus, Ianto, why didn’t you answer me?” Jack snapped as he stepped hurriedly into the middle alcove only to find Ianto standing up at the edge, his back to Jack as he stared out over the pool room. Moving forward, he both felt and heard the crunch of something underfoot and looked down to see that Ianto’s earpiece was now nothing more than a crumpled lump of parts beneath his boot.

“Ianto?” Jack repeated, looking up and reaching for his shoulder. Ianto spun suddenly to face him and Jack jerked his hand back in surprise, watching as Ianto smiled brilliantly at him, all teeth and wild eyes but still not so much a whisper of words in reply.

Jack frowned at him, a prickle of unease trailing like fingers along his spine, and he felt the hairs of the back of his neck rise up in warning as Ianto- like a puppet being cut from its strings- stumbled backwards on jerky legs, his knees bending in an awkward jump that forced him up onto the railing and Jack launched himself forward without thought, his hands reaching desperately as, still with that goddamned smile upon his face, Ianto was thrown- _pulled_ \- from the balcony, his body arching with imagined grace before smacking full-force into the swimming pool below.

“Ianto!” Jack screamed after him, mentally wincing at the sound of Ianto’s body hitting the water before sinking swiftly like stone beneath the shockwaves of his impact. Jack shouted his name again, shrugging his coat in an instant and pushing himself up onto the railing, he hit quickly at his Bluetooth, reactivating it and calling for Toshiko and Owen to hurry their arses before he wrenched it from his head, throwing it carelessly behind him before bringing his hands together and launching himself from the balcony in a dive.

He hit the water with a splash, bubbles of air rushing past his searching eyes as he peered through the pool water in search of Ianto’s body. He couldn’t see a damned thing. He resurfaced, gulping a quick lungful of water before sinking back beneath the surface and squinting for any sign of Ianto at all. Jack tried desperately not to panic, first when he found nothing and then when he caught sight of Ianto floating, unmoving, paces away from him. Jack swam for him, fingers clasping desperate fistfuls of Ianto’s jacket and tugging him upwards, their heads breaking the surface of the water.

“Ianto! Ianto, please…” Jack gasped out, clasping Ianto to him as he tread water, dragging them to the edge, his boots finally finding purchase upon the bottom of the pool. Ianto’s head lolled back in his arms and Jack shook him for a response, panic rising like bile in his throat as he shifted Ianto’s body and pulled his head forward, catching Ianto’s mouth and kissing at his cold lips. He choked back a moan as he moved them both slowly up the length of the pool, intent on reaching the railings that would allow him to carry Ianto out of the water.

“Please, Ianto,” Jack pleaded; pressing his mouth to Ianto’s again, pressing as much of his desperation into his exhale of breath as he could. He’d done this before. He could do this again.

“Just breathe damn you!” He cursed, breathing heavily as he half walked, half swam them onwards. He clasped Ianto against him, careful to keep his head up and out of the water. Where the fuck were Owen and Toshiko? He looked down at the paleness of Ianto’s face and tried to swallow back the lump in his throat. He dipped his head for a third and- _no. Just no._ \- he pinched at Ianto’s nose and kissed him hard, exhaling deeply into the slackness of Ianto’s mouth. He felt the body in his arms twitch, and suddenly hands were upon his face and Ianto’s mouth was moving against his in return. Jack’s eyes sprang upon, meeting the clear blue of Ianto’s stare, their lips still joined.

Jack wrenched his mouth away, his lips mouthing soundless words of disbelief as Ianto’s whole face suddenly split into a grin. Jack felt something more than shock and panic as Ianto reached for him again, kissing at his un-participating lips. Jack felt confusion, and _anger_ , as the man he’d clung so anxiously to showed not so much as a hint that he’d just very nearly downed.

“What the fuck are you playing at?” He growled out, shoving at Ianto who only held on all the more tightly. Ianto grinned at him. His legs lifting to wrap around Jack’s waist as his arms did for Jack’s shoulders.

“Don’t be angry,” he purred against Jack’s lips with quick, darting kisses. Jack turned his face away with a hiss of displeasure.

“Angry?” He shouted, glaring at Ianto, “I’m going to kill you myself! Have you any idea what the hell you just put me through? I thought you’d _died_ , you bastard! What the hell were you thinking?”

“Quid pro quo, Jack,” Ianto smiled, hands moving to cup tightly at Jack’s face, his fingers digging into the flushed skin of his cheeks, “quid pro quo.” And he pressed forward, mouth sucking hard and the thin press of Jack’s lips as he stood, tense and unmoving beneath the assault. He flinched, feeling Ianto’s teeth slicing at his bottom lips, biting sharply at the flesh and dragging it, unwillingly, between his own lips to lave seductively at it with his tongue. He gave an exaggerated moan and Jack’s eyes narrowed, watching as Ianto watched him even through his ministrations.

Under any other circumstances, Jack was sure he’d have found this side of Ianto unbelievably erotic, but here and now, after the fright he’d just caused (and not only to Jack himself), Jack felt only the thrum of anger rushing through his blood. He dug his fingers into the flesh of Ianto’s sides and squeezed painfully tightly, his heart stuttering as Ianto pulled his mouth away to laugh and moan simultaneously and Jack closed his eyes to the sound of it, realising- _finally realising_ \- that this was not his Ianto, this was not his-

“Jack!” Owen’s voice rang through the room and Jack’s eyes sprang open. He flailed momentarily in the water, finding himself suddenly and worryingly alone in the pool.

“What the-?” He twisted around, knowing no one could possibly be behind him but needing to check anyway. Where was he? Where had he? Oh… oh god no…

“Owen! Can you see him? Where is he?” He swam in circles, peering into the water as if he expected to- _wanted to_ \- see Ianto floating there beneath the surface.

“Jack, I can’t see anyone,” Owen called, hurrying round to the side of the pool where Jack was treading.

“He was just here! I saw him, he was just-,”

“Jack!” Toshiko cried out and he looked back towards the entranceway into the pool room, seeing Toshiko standing at the edge and pointing off to his left. He turned; gaping as a strange light seemed to bubble up from a small section of the pool, the water gurgling and frothing as it seemed to grow brighter and brighter- rising from beneath the waves it caused before flashing bright enough to burn his eyes.

He cried out, his arm raising to protect him from the glare, and Jack heard Owen and Toshiko cry out at the glare also.

“Ianto!” Toshiko’s was the first scream he heard and Jack dropped his arm. He didn’t need to look at Toshiko to know that she would be looking to the source of the light. Jack didn’t even try to make sense of what just happened as he caught sight of the body floating face down in the water and launched himself with desperate strokes in the same direction.

Reaching it, he grabbed and turned the body, he tried not to recognise Ianto’s face as he pulled him into his arms, one hand cupping itself beneath Ianto’s chin in a bid to keep his face from the water as he swam them both towards the closest edge where Owen’s hands were already waiting to lift his limp body out of the water. Toshiko was at his side also, her face drastically paled as she helped lie Ianto on the ground.

“Tosh, I need you to feel for a pulse,” Owen started, his voice urgent but commanding and she complied in due swiftness and without hesitation, her fingers pressing at Ianto’s neck and nodding frantically when she managed to locate a flutter of a heartbeat.

“Good, now I need you to help me with the CPR,” he said, his hands slotting together on Ianto’s chest. He began to compress, calling out the number of presses until at five he called for Toshiko to breathe. She tried not to hesitate, her eyes sliding to Jack who was just managing to pull himself out of the water, his body rolling onto the stonework before twisting and crawling towards them.

“Tosh!” Owen’s voice was sharp as he clicked his fingers before her face, “I can’t do this myself. Now, breathe!”

She nodded, jaw clenched tight in worry as she tipped Ianto’s head back, opening his mouth and pinching his nose closed. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and pressed her mouth over Ianto’s, exhaling as much of her breath into him as she could manage. Owen had restarted the chest compressions before she’d even pulled her mouth away. She felt her heart flitter in her chest and a burning start in both her throat and her eyes as she looked down into Ianto’s lifeless face.

“-three,” pause, “-four,” pause, “-five, Tosh!” And Toshiko dipped her head to breathe into Ianto’s still mouth again. She felt a hand land upon her shoulder and when she pulled back it was to see Jack beside her. His face appeared expressionless, but his eyes were darkened with the emotion he was trying to keep hidden, tucked away deep inside himself. Toshiko bit at her lips and turned her face away, her eyes landing on Owen’s hands as they pressed forcefully against Ianto’s chest.

“Breathe!” He called out and Toshiko moved again, breathing into Ianto’s mouth.

“Come on, Ianto,” Owen huffed between counts, and Toshiko felt her fear and grief rising. Jack’s fingers squeezed more tightly at her shoulder, gently easing her to the side and taking her place, reading to perform the kiss of life at Owen’s next call.

It came and went, and still nothing from Ianto.

“Jack-,” Owen began, still working the compressions.

“No!” Jack snapped, hearing everything Owen hadn’t yet said in the tone of his voice. “Don’t you dare, don’t any of you dare-!” _don’t give up on him_. He couldn’t say the words, but they all knew what he meant.

“Breathe.” Owen called, his voice tight. Jack breathed, and breathed, and then again until finally- _oh god, oh thank god_ \- Ianto coughed, water spewing up out his mouth and Owen was quickly turning him onto his side so that he could vomit up every last lungful he’d managed to swallow.

Toshiko cried out, tears falling now as Jack cradled Ianto’s head and rubbed his back and urged him to keep breathing, telling him he was okay, that everything was alright now. Ianto shuddered on the ground, still coughing, his face flushing with blood and colour, but he was no longer spitting up water.

“Ianto?” Jack called. Ianto shook a little but his eyes were closed and he gave no indication that he had heard. He looked to Owen in his distress only to receive a shake of the head.

“He’s breathing at least,” Owen said, “let’s get him back to the apartment.”

Jack nodded, pulling Ianto to him and lifting him into his arms. Owen helped him stand on shaken legs and he could have cried himself when Ianto’s head moved itself to lay against his chest, his fingers fisting loosely against the sodden fabric of his shirt.

“Tosh, can you-,” Toshiko pushed herself up, tears still falling from her eyes. Owen slung an arm around her shoulders, leading them around the poolside. Jack looked pained even as he asked, standing by the double doors leading out of the room if one of them would run up to the balconies and get his coat and the equipment they’d left up in the third alcove. Toshiko nodded her head, wiping at her eyes and hurrying away before Owen would offer instead. She returned minutes later, their gear already slipped carefully into the bag slung around her shoulder and Jack’s coat in her arms.

Without prompting, Owen helped Toshiko tuck the coat over Ianto’s body. He placed one hand on Jack’s shoulder, and wrapped the other around Toshiko before leading them all out of the pool room and back towards their apartment rooms.

\- - -

He’d changed Ianto into dry boxers and a plain white t-shirt and tucked him up into their bed. Owen had checked him over more thoroughly once they’d returned and Ianto had surfaced enough to open his eyes and grimace a smile as he saw Jack’s concerned face hovering over his own, his cold fingers squeezing faintly at Jack’s hand before he slipped back into unconsciousness. Owen gave him a dose of intravenous painkillers and pronounced that though he didn’t look at all fit and healthy, he could find nothing wrong per se with Ianto.

Jack looked at him with hooded eyes and Owen said, with sincerity, “he’ll be fine, Jack. He’s just hurting and exhausted. He just needs some rest.” Jack nodded and perched himself on the edge of the bed, carefully not to disturb Ianto at all. Owen slipped into the en suite bathroom for a moment before returning with a glass of water and a facecloth.

“He’ll need fluids,” he said, sitting the glass on Jack’s side of the bed. “If he can’t swallow, try to get him to suck the water out of the cloth.” Jack just nodded, still watching- eyes roaming from his paled face to the painfully slow rise and fall of his chest. His fingers tightened on Ianto’s hand.

“I’ll come check on him in an hour or two,” Owen said, hovering at his side. Jack nodded again but said nothing and Owen hesitated at speaking more before closing his mouth and slipping from the room.

Jack stayed at Ianto’s side, eventually moving to lie on his side beside him, his eyes not once leaving Ianto’s face.

After the first couple of hours there came a knock to the door before it opened and someone slipped into the room.

“How is he?” Jack rolled over, surprised to hear Gwen’s voice. He hadn’t realised she’d returned.

“Alive.” Jack answered simply, sitting himself up. He kept a tight hold of Ianto’s hand. Gwen sat beside him, a hand upon his arm.

“Tosh told me what happened,” she said, watching as Jack’s gaze flickered over her to land on Ianto. She looked over also, wincing at Ianto’s pallor. If it weren’t for the fact she could see the sheets moving as he breathed, she wouldn’t have been sure he was still alive. Gwen squeezed her fingers against Jack’s arm.

“How are you, Jack?” She asked and Jack shrugged.

“I’m fine,” he answered simply. She wanted to press for more, knowing that he was far from it but a part of her knew not to push this, not now. She inclined her head at him before leaning in and wrapping her arms about Jack in a hug. He tensed for a minute before bringing an arm up to return the gesture.

After a long moment she pulled away, touching worriedly at Jack’s face before standing and moving back. “I’ll send Owen soon,” she said, “he’ll be okay, Jack, our Ianto’s a tough cookie.” She smiled gently before leaving the room. Jack watched the door for a second before feeling Ianto’s fingers twitch against his hand.

He turned back towards the bed, seeing that Ianto’s eyes were open- they were reddened and heavy-lidded, but they were open and Jack breathed a sigh of relief as he moved forward to kiss at Ianto’s brow.

“Hey,” he called and Ianto smiled, grimacing with pain as he swallowed. He lifted a pale hand to touch at his throat and then his chest and Jack knew he must be feeling the hurt in them both.

“Do you remember what happened, Ianto?” Jack asked, calling Ianto’s attention back to him. Ianto looked at him, frowning, eyes closing. He nodded his head just faintly before his expression smoothed out and sleep claimed him once more.

\- - -

When Ianto roused himself to wakefulness again it was to find Toshiko sitting with him. He smiled tiredly at her and she smiled back. She looked pale and drawn and was watching him with evident concern. He squeezed as best he could at the fingers she’d entwined with his own.

“How are you feeling?” She asked, leaning over him to press a hand to his forehead.

“Sore,” he managed, wincing even as he spoke the word- both his chest and his throat protesting his attempts to speak. Toshiko winced also at the sound of it.

“Are you thirsty?” She asked and Ianto nodded. Toshiko released his hand and reached for the glass of water. “Do you think you can swallow?”

Ianto shook his head, frowning as he watched Toshiko dip a corner of a facecloth into the glass before touching it to his lips. He opened his mouth obediently pressed his tongue to the fabric, squeezing it up against the roof of his mouth and sucking gently at it- small trickles of water escaping the fabric to coat his tongue and slip smoothly down his throat without prompting. They repeated this a couple more times before Ianto shook his head and Toshiko put the glass down, taking his hand once more.

“Thanks,” he tried, swallowing and wincing simultaneously. Toshiko grimaced in sympathy. Ianto smiled bravely and closed his eyes. He felt Toshiko’s lips on his cheek as she kissed him.

“Get some rest, Ianto,” she breathed softly, “we’ll be here when you wake up.”

Ianto smiled again and allowed himself to fall back to sleep.

\- - -

“You scared the life out of me,” Jack said, lying beside Ianto once more. Ianto reached out to touch at Jack’s face.

“‘M sorry,” he whispered hoarsely.

“Don’t be,” Jack said, “It wasn’t your fault.”

They were silent, watching each other for a moment before Ianto looked away, his eyes slipping closed.

“I saw Lisa,” he whispered and felt Jack start beside him. He reached out, blindly groping for Jack’s hand. Jack caught it and entwined their fingers. “I know it wasn’t her,” he began stiltedly, ignoring Jack’s request not to strain himself. “But whatever it was, it chose to look like her.” he swallowed heavily.

“I only remember seeing her,” he said, “then she turned into… into smoke,” Ianto frowned, thinking, trying to find the words to describe the moment, “And then she- _it_ \- came at me, and… and then I was choking on water,” Ianto turned his head to look at Jack again.

Jack shimmied closer, kissing lightly at the side of Ianto’s mouth.

“Why did I see her, Jack?” he asked as Jack pulled back, his eyes wide and shining in the dully lit room.

“I don’t know, Ianto,” Jack said, his other hand lifting to touch at Ianto’s cheek, fingers stroking over his skin. He stayed with Ianto, the pair of them slipping into silence, until Ianto fell asleep once again. He stayed with Ianto throughout the night, keeping a silent vigil over the other man.

\- - -

“There were two more disappearances reported last night,” Gwen said, stepping back into the apartment the following morning. Toshiko followed, carrying a tray of coffees and an assortment of breakfast foods.

Jack turned from the magnificent windows where he’d been viewing the grounds and watched as Toshiko set the tray down on a semi-empty space of the coffee table before stepping forward to accept his cup from her with a smile of thanks.

“Both of them were men,” Gwen continued, flipping open a small notebook she’d extracted from her back pocket. She gulped a mouthful of coffee, grimacing momentarily at the taste before reading out what she’d written, “A Simon Campbell and a Richard Forsyth. Both were in their early twenties and backpacking their way across Wales. They were last seen heading out for a walk in the grounds. They’ve yet to return. A search party has been sent out but the two negative spikes Tosh spotted yesterday, around the time Ianto was attacked, mean that it’s unlikely either of them will be found.”

“That’s what, four missing persons for this cycle so far? That we know about?” Jack clarified and the girls nodded their agreement.

“Have we got a pattern yet, Gwen?” He asked and she shook her head.

“Sorry, nothing yet.” She confessed, “Aside from the greatest majority of missing persons being male, we haven’t a thing linking them together. They’re all different ages, races, and come from variety of backgrounds and lifestyles. Honestly, Jack, the only thing they all have in common so far is their meat and two veg.”

A snort sounded at her words and she turned to see Owen coming down the stairwell. “Meat and two veg?” He scoffed, “I didn’t realise we were working pre-watershed here.”

Gwen merely rolled her eyes; any retort she might have responded with hindered as Jack called Owen’s attention towards himself by asking how Ianto was doing.

“He’s sleeping again,” Owen said, “I got him to take some more painkillers for the chest and the headache, but I can’t do much about the fact he sounds like a forty-a-day smoker.”

Jack ran a hand through his hair and turned back towards the windows. The room descended into a momentary silence with no one saying much of anything. Owen dropped himself onto one of the couches and Gwen perched herself beside Toshiko who was already tapping away at her laptop.

“Jack?” Toshiko was the one to break Jack from his thoughts after a full five minutes had passed. He turned instantly towards her. “I’ve pinpointed the exact location from which our recent victims were taken.” She said, and held out a palm pilot with the coordinates already set. “It’s just over an hour’s walk from here.”

Jack nodded, smiling a little tensely as he took the device from her.

“We can go if you like?” She offered, but Jack shook his head.

“Owen, you’re with me.” He said, grabbing his coat from the back of Owen’s couch and heading towards the door without waiting for any predicted protests.

\- - -

“Have I ever told you just how much I hate the countryside?” Owen asked, stamping his feet against the morning chill as he walked the grounds with Jack.

“Once or twice this morning,” Jack answered, smirking at Owen. They were out with their EMF readers, heading towards the location Tosh had given them for the latest rift spikes.

“Yeah, well, I _really_ hate the countryside,” Owen confirmed, “just in case you missed me saying it that once or twice.”

Jack just shook his head, laughing at Owen’s disgusted expression as he tripped over an exposed tree root and began cursing the hell out of it. The cursing and under-the-breath muttering lasted until Jack came to a sudden stop around twenty minutes later.

“This is the spot,” he said, looking around.

“Are you sure?” Owen looked around also, his mouth curling with disgust at the whole endeavour.

“It’s definitely the coordinates Tosh gave me. And she hasn’t let me down yet.” Jack checked his palm pilot. “Are you getting and readings?”

Owen looked down at his EMF reader and shook his head. “Not a thing.” He answered before stooping and snatching up a twig which he then proceeded to chuck onto a larger pile of stones and twigs he’d spotted set just off to the side of the path. Jack raised an eyebrow at him when Owen turned back.

“What?” Owen asked, his tone defensive.

“Yeah, that,” Jack said, and Owen scowled a little.

“It’s a varp.” He muttered as if that explained everything. Jack raised both his eyebrows at that and Owen rolled his eyes.

"It marks a place where someone has died. You're supposed to throw another stone or twig onto the pile to show your respect. Good luck if you do, bad luck if you don't. That sort of thing."

“That’s… very superstitious of you, Owen,” Jack commented and Owen shrugged.

“My Gran was part Scandinavian.” He said, again as if that explained everything. Jack turned away with a shake of his head and checked his readings again.

“Well, whatever was here, it’s long gone now.” He sighed then, thinking of the girls and Ianto whom they’d left back in the apartment well over an hour ago now. “Let’s head back, I want to see what Tosh’s got in regards to predicting this thing. I want to nip it in the bud before anything else happens.”

“Do you really think we have any hope at fighting this thing, Jack?” Owen asked, not moving. Jack looked at him, frowning.

“We have to try,” he answered as if that were obvious. Owen just shook his head.

“But how can we fight the Rift?” He posed, eyeing Jack curiously.

“We’ll find a way,” Jack answered evasively, stepping away but Owen stubbornly refused to move.

“It’s already tried to take Ianto,” he went on and Jack stilled, “what if it succeeds next time? What if it’s one of us, Jack?”

“What would you have me do, Owen?” Jack turned to look at him, anger curling his fists at his sides. “What would _you_ do? Would you leave? Would you condemn everyone else who visits this location to the same fate?”

“I thought you loved him.” Owen tried and Jack’s face twisted as if pained.

“I love you all, Owen.” He said, flexing his fingers. “But I’m still your boss, and the leader of Torchwood, and I cannot leave this case unsolved. I cannot leave everyone else behind to suffer whatever fate being taken by the Rift causes. I-,” and he hesitated.

Owen was watching him and Jack knew exactly what he was thinking. It didn’t matter how much time had passed. It didn’t matter how much of a team they’d all become since. The real question was, and would always be, _why won’t you leave them, Jack, why won’t you leave all those faceless people behind when you left us so easily?_

Jack shook his head and stepped up to Owen, placing his hands upon his shoulders and staring frankly into his eyes.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Owen.” He said. “I don’t know what you want me to do. But I’m doing the only thing I can and know how to do, I’m trying to help.” He stared into Owen’s eyes for a time before asking, “Do you want to leave?”

Owen snorted, turning his face away. “Don’t be stupid. You’re going to need me if you insist on staying.”

Jack squeezed his shoulders and stepped back.

“And just how is a zombie with insomnia going to help me?” Jack asked, lips twitching. Owen punched lightly at his arm.

“By being the only doctor you have and clearly the only one with a brain left.” He answered, still not quite meeting Jack’s eyes.

“I’ll be sure to tell Tosh you said that,” Jack laughed, nudging at Owen with his shoulder and urging him back in the direction of the castle.

\- - -

“We have a theory!” Gwen called as soon as Jack and Owen had returned. She was pulling pages of paper from the printer and sorting them into piles. Over on the couch, Ianto was snuggled up under a blanket with Toshiko, the pair of them pouring over whatever she had showing up on her laptop. Ianto looked up and smiled as Jack stepped into view.

“Great, let’s hear it then?” Owen called as they shed their coats. Jack stepped up to Ianto and pressed a kiss to his forehead before perching himself on the armrest and taking the proffered pages from Gwen.

“Firstly, did you boys find anything whilst on your walk?” She asked, looking up through her fringe at the pair of them.

“Oh you know, the usual,” Owen answered, “grass, mud, trees.”

“Witty, Owen.” She retorted. “But really, you didn’t find anything at all?”

“We didn’t get any readings if that’s what you mean?” Owen tried but Gwen just shook her head.

“Not what I mean,” she said before nodding for Jack to look at the pages she’d handed him.

“We, that is to say Ianto mostly, found a particularly fascinating piece of history relating to this castle back when it used to be a sanatorium for Tuberculosis. Now before I get right into that, I’ll just come out and say it- we think that the Rift activity and the reoccurring cycles are due to something known as a-,” She hesitated and looked to Toshiko.

“Gjenganger,” Toshiko supplied.

“Bless you,” Jack said and Owen snorted.

Toshiko and Gwen shared a look but before either of them could clarify, Owen piped up, “Seriously, guys, a Gjenganger?” He all but scoffed. “I mean, ghosts sure, I’m all for believing in the spooks. But vampires? I think that’s a step too far into weird even for me.”

“That coming from Torchwood’s resident zombie?” Ianto piped up, his voice painfully hoarse sounding though he smirked in Owen’s direction despite it.

“Ha, ha, tea-boy,” Owen sniped.

“A Gjenganger,” Toshiko began, ignoring them all, “is _not_ a vampire so much as it _is_ a ghost. In Scandinavian legend it has the ability to take on corporeal form which it then uses that to manipulate its intended victims into doing its bidding. They’re usually violent, vengeful spirits looking to torture the living and exact revenge for whatever slights they feel they faced back when they were alive.”

“It explains why Ianto says he saw Lisa before he was possessed by it,” Gwen took over, “and whilst you were away Ianto said he saw another woman, before she morphed into Lisa that is. We think this… spirit thing… has at least a partial psychic ability- enough that she can look at a person and get a sense of what they will react to before she then takes on that form.”

“Okay,” Jack said slowly once Gwen finished, “First things first, explain to me why we’re going with the Scandinavian legend when we’re slap-bang in the middle of Wales?”

“Because,” and it was Toshiko who took over here, “The woman Ianto says he initially saw has a startling likeness to one of the patients admitted to this Castle. A woman of Scandinavian origin noted for being quite the difficult patient during her residence here. We don’t have a name just yet, but Gwen remembered finding some hospital files in the basement when she was down there the other day with Owen and after some digging we managed to find this…”

Toshiko held up a moulding grey file, thick with yellowing pages of paper. “This is the file of the woman we think is behind the Rift cycles. Ianto identified the photograph for us,” she passed the folder to Jack who opened it and peered at a small black and white mug shot of a lady, perhaps in her early fifties, still with long dark hair, and dark, staring eyes.

“No name?” He clarified and Toshiko nodded.

“There doesn’t seem to be one listed. So far we’ve come across several references of her as “The Lady” but nothing more than that.”

“The interesting thing about her is noted towards the back, after her medical records.” Gwen said, moving to Jack’s side and turning the pages in the folder. She pointed at a paragraph in particular.

“It says here that she’d been reprimanded more than once for attacking and cursing other patients. And I don’t just mean she had a foul mouth. A century or so earlier and I suspect she’d have been put to death as a witch.”

“Let me get this right, you think we’re dealing with an avenging witch now?” Owen’s expression was one of complete disdain at the very idea. Gwen pursed her lips.

“It’s our best lead so far,” she admitted grudgingly. “Look,” she added when even Jack failed to hide his scepticism, “this woman- witch or not- is recorded as having been violent towards men, often cursing them and promising that she’d have her revenge on them all.’

“It’s there-,” she stabbed at the folder in Jack’s hands, “-in black and white. Now I know I’m the first to scoff at the idea of ghosts existing, but Ianto assured us that she’s the woman he saw. And if he says it is, then I’m inclined to believe him. I don’t think it’s all that much of a leap to assume that, somehow, this Lady has managed to live on through the Rift and is exacting her promised revenge on any man she so wishes to punish.”

“Say that she is,” Jack agreed after a momentary consideration of her words. “Why men? What has she got against them and why is she picking the ones that she does? And while we’re at it, why was Ianto returned when no one else was? How does this…” he waved his hand in Toshiko’s direction.

“Gjenganger,” She supplied without further prompting.

“Yeah, that thing. Tell me, how is it able to manipulate the Rift? And is there any way to stop it from continuing to take people as it likes?”

“Woah, okay,” Gwen held up her hands, “I said we had a breakthrough, not all the answers.” She moved away and picked up another folder, this one freshly made and filled with printed pages and the public police reports on local missing persona. “I do have my own theory on what links all the victims though.”

“And?” Jack prompted. Gwen bit at her lip a little hesitantly. “I think it has something to do with faithfulness. Or rather how they were all to some extent _unfaithful_ to their partners.” She tried and failed not to look at Ianto as she said that second part. He was staring back at her, face pale but unreadable. She looked away, her gaze landing on Jack’s none too impressed face instead.

“As wonderful a theory as I’m sure that is, don’t you think she’d have tried taking Jack or myself before targeting Ianto?” Owen asked with a scoff, “I mean the guy’s practically a monk compared to us. No offence, mate.”

“None taken,” Ianto replied, the words barely a scratch of sound. Jack reached out to touch protectively at the back of his neck.

“I can’t be sure that’s why Ianto was attacked,” Gwen agreed, “but maybe it explains why he was brought back when no one else was?”

“That does make at least partial sense,” Toshiko chipped in, “at least if we assume, ah, that is…” She reached up to adjust her glasses in her nervousness.

“Assuming that I’ve never cheated on anyone in my life, right?” Ianto asked, swallowing awkwardly against the pain in his throat. Toshiko nodded though she had the grace to blush a little. Ianto nodded his head once before tugging the blanket aside and pushing to his feet.

“Then your theory makes sense,” he agreed. “If you’ll all excuse me?” He added and moved towards the stairwell before waiting for an answer. Jack made to stand and follow but Toshiko reached out and grabbed at his sleeve.

“What?” Jack hissed, turning to look at her.

“One thing before you go, Jack.” Toshiko said as Ianto shut the door to the loft bedroom.

\- - -

“Ianto?” Jack called, knocking gently at the door before opening it and slipping into their shared room. “You awake?” He asked, moving over towards the bed and perching himself beside Ianto who was lying curled in on himself atop the duvet. He watched as Ianto blinked open one eye, his look somewhat resigned even as he opened his mouth to speak.

“If I tell you I’m not,” he asked, coughing slightly over his words, “will you go away?”

Jack grinned widely and bent to kiss fondly at his forehead. “Probably not, no,” he replied honestly.

Ianto pouted a little. “Can you at least not say whatever you came up here to say?”

“What?” Jack adopted an offended expression, “And deprive you of all my unflappable charm and wisdom?”

“What’s that when it’s at home then?” Ianto asked sardonically, both eyes open now. Jack just smiled at him and Ianto groaned, turning his face into his pillow.

“Tell me we’re not about to have a serious conversation now?” Though his words were muffled Jack caught them all and reached out to rub soothingly at Ianto’s thigh.

“You’re upset,” Jack said, getting straight to the point. Ianto turned his head to look at him once more.

“Was I that obvious?” He asked and Jack nodded. Ianto closed his eyes with a small sigh and a grimace.

“How are you feeling?” Jack moved his hand to touch at Ianto’s brow.

“I’m fine, Jack. A little sore, a little sleepy, throat is killing me,” he shrugged and stretched himself out a little, “but on the whole I’m fine.”

Jack watched him for a long moment, his eyes intent upon Ianto’s face until Ianto’s placid look morphed into a scowl. “What?” He asked a little grudgingly, and eyed Jack suspiciously.

“I’m trying to work out why you’re upset,” Jack answered, his hand settling upon Ianto’s waist.

“I’m not that upset.” Ianto argued but Jack just shook his head.

“The fact that you seem to be upset about never having cheated on anyone is what’s confusing me,” Jack continued as if Ianto hadn’t spoken.

Ianto groaned and twisted onto his back, his hand coming up to massage at the centre of his chest with the motion. “You’re like a dog with a bone, Jack,” he muttered, staring up at the ceiling till Jack shifted and leant over him, replacing the elaborate plaster design with his face.

“This is where I usually gloat about being right,” Jack said softly, “but I don’t think you’d appreciate it all that much.”

Ianto sighed and reached out, groping for Jack’s hand. “I’ve never physically cheated on a partner, Jack,” Ianto said after a heartbeat or two of silence, his eyes flickering away from Jack’s fixed stare. “But I have emotionally. I think that was enough for me to be targeted.”

Jack frowned, squeezing at their entwined fingers. “It’s not _wrong_ to think of other people when you’re already with someone, Ianto.”

“No?” Ianto asked.

“No.” Jack agreed. “You know what I find so fascinating about you twenty-first centaury types? The belief you all hold that you can only ever love one person at a time. It’s unbearably romantic, I’ll give you that, but it’s also deeply impractical.”

It was Ianto’s turn now to frown. “I’m not sure I understand,” he said, his words cautious.

“Humans, Ianto, men and women, none of us were made to love only once, not even to love only one at a time. Love is for everything. It is only differentiated by physical urges; like the urge to kiss a relative on the cheek and a lover on the lips. I understand the need for an exclusive relationship, in this century especially; it protects you and ensures you a continued love for as long as you both can make it work. But inevitably you’ll think of someone else when you think you should only be thinking of your partner. It’s not wrong, per se, unless by the rules of exclusiveness you stray, then I think is where things tend to be frowned upon.”

“I wanted you pretty much from the moment I met you.” Ianto confessed, smiling with sadness. “It was so hard saying no when you kept making passes at me.”

Jack’s smile was tender. “You’re a stronger man than you give yourself credit for, Ianto.”

“Why? Because I knew how to say no to you?” Ianto joked weakly.

Jack hummed a laugh, lifting Ianto’s hand to kiss at his knuckles, “For that too,” he agreed and Ianto shook his head, another frown creasing his brow.

“Tell me something, Ianto,” Jack started, “Your Lisa, would she want you to be happy? With whomever you choose?”

“I-, I like to think that she would.” Ianto answered, “Though I wonder sometimes if she would ever forgive me for loving you after her.”

“Because I’m part of the reason she’s gone?” Jack asked but Ianto shook his head.

“Because I was- because I _wanted_ you- long before she died.”

“You can say it you know.” Jack encouraged but Ianto looked away.

“I never knew her,” Jack said, moving on, “but I’d like to think that she wouldn’t hold your feelings against you, Ianto. Love isn’t something you can pick and choose. You either feel it or you don’t, there isn’t really much of an in between. You can grow to love, and you can fall out of love. But if you love, Ianto, you can deny it and try to hide it all you like but you’ll still feel it. Nothing can change that. It’s not wrong.”

Ianto turned back to him and Jack touched at his cheek, cupping his palm there as he leant down and pressed a tender kiss to Ianto’s mouth.

“Just remember,” Jack said, pulling away, “you were let go. Whatever attacked you, it also gave you back. You can’t have done as badly as you think you have, Ianto.”

Ianto couldn’t think of anything to say to that. There was a tightness to his throat he wasn’t entirely sure he could blame on the fact he’d nearly coughed up his lungs the previous evening, and so he smiled tightly and closed his eyes and prayed a little desperately that Jack would let that be the end to their little heart-to-heart.

Jack, it seemed, could take a hint as he leant down and pressed a peck of a kiss to Ianto’s cheek. Ianto felt the brush of his lips and then the soft bounce of the mattress as Jack stood up and stepped towards the door. He could feel Jack’s eyes upon him, though he kept his own tightly shut, the weight of his stare seemed endless until with a soft sigh he must’ve turned away, twisting the doorknob and letting himself out of their room.

Ianto rolled back onto his side and stared at the closed door.

\- - -

When Jack awoke a few hours before dawn the next morning, it was to find Ianto’s space in their bed vacated. With a frown he roused himself, pulling on a pair of trousers and a vest shirt before swiftly making his way down the stairwell and into the lounge. He almost breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Ianto sitting on one of the couches with his legs pulled up to his chest, one hand holding loosely at the mug of coffee perched precariously upon his knees as he flicked through one of the manila folders Gwen had made up for their case thus far.

“I made you a cup,” Ianto said, flicking his eyes upwards as Jack stepped up to the couch. He nodded to the coffee table where Jack saw a steaming mug of coffee sitting waiting for him. He smiled, scooping it up and breathing deeply of its aroma. When he opened the eyes he’d unconsciously closed, it was to find Ianto smiling at him, his eyes amused as he sat himself up more fully and patted the space beside him. Jack sat, nudging Ianto with his knee as he did so.

“What’re you doing up so early?” Jack asked, taking the first mouth-watering sip of Ianto’s coffee.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Ianto said, putting his mug down on the table. Jack laughed to see him smother a yawn beneath his hand.

“Insomnia?” He teased, pleased to note that not only was Ianto’s colour remarkably improved, but his voice seemed to be loosing most of its hoarseness.

Ianto smiled slyly at him. “Well you _have_ been a tad remiss in ensuring I have a good night’s rest.”

“Huh,” Jack said with a laugh, reaching out to set his own cup down upon the table “and here I thought not molesting you whilst you recovered was the more gentlemanly thing to do.”

“Who ever said I was looking for a gentleman?” Ianto asked with a minx-like smile as he leant in to kiss softly at Jack’s lips. The kiss was quickly returned and deepened, with Jack’s hands moving to cup at Ianto’s face before sliding up through his hair; cradling at the back of his head whilst encouraging Ianto to part his mouth to Jack’s questing tongue. Ianto moaned softly, willingly, allowing Jack to take the lead with their kissing as he himself let his hands wander eagerly across Jack’s shoulders and down his chest, feeling the quiver of his stomach muscles as he pressed his fingers just above the band of his trousers.

“If you’ve no intention of putting out, Mr Jones, I’m going to be very displeased with you.” Jack muttered against his mouth when Ianto’s fingers paused. Ianto smiled against Jack’s next kiss.

“Better get me upstairs then, Captain Harkness, as I’ve no intention of allowing myself to be debauched on the couch.”

“Mmm,” Jack moaned softly, moving to kiss a line along his jaw. “The girls won’t mind,” he tried, working his tongue against Ianto’s ear and delighting in his hitch of breath.

“Yes,” Ianto agreed, gasping out the word, “but Owen would most certainly castrate us both.” He twitched his fingers against Jack’s stomach, slipping only the very tips of them into his waistband and pressing. Jack growled wordlessly against his ear before standing swiftly; lifting Ianto bodily from the couch as soon as he was on his feet and all but dragging him back towards their bedroom.

“I knew sharing a bed with you was a bad idea.” Ianto said, trying not to laugh as Jack tripped over the stairs.

“Yes, but it’s a very, very _good_ bad idea.” He said, grinning wickedly at Ianto.

Ianto shook his head, “that doesn’t even make any sense!”

Jack twisted at the top of the stairwell, pulling Ianto flush against him and kissing him to breathlessness.

“It doesn’t have to,” he purred, before hauling Ianto into their room.

\- - -

“So I was thinking,” Owen started, once everyone had dragged themselves down into the lounge area for their morning meeting.

“Try not to strain anything, luv,” Gwen taunted, laughing as Owen flicked her the fingers in reply.

“About what we were talking about yesterday, with the Gjenganger,” he continued on, “and I remembered my Gran telling me tales about them when I was younger.”

“Your Gran just happened to tell you stories about Scandinavian folklore?” Gwen asked with her eyebrows raised.

Owen shot her a look, “My Gran just happened to be part Scandinavian,” he sneered. “Now, as it turns out, me and Jack did actually find something yesterday when we searched site of the recent disappearances. At the time I hadn’t thought anything of it, but you remember that varp I found?” Owen directed his question towards Jack who cocked his head a little and frowned.

“Big pile of rocks and sticks, right? That whole good luck, bad luck thing going on with it?” He clarified and Owen suppressed an eye roll as he nodded his agreement.

“Yeah, that thing. Well anyway, I was thinking that maybe, since the Gjenganger is Scandinavian and our suspect for these subjects is Scandinavian, that these two things are linked. I’m pretty certain that if this is the case, then that varp marks the spot where she died, possibly even where she is buried.”

“How does that help us if it is?” Toshiko asked, honest curiosity overcoming her inherent scepticism over anything remotely supernatural.

Owen shifted awkwardly, “Well, um… there’s possibly a way to, er, nullify the spirit. And by extension stop this cycle.”

“If you so much as mention the salting and burning of her bones I will mock you for the rest of your life.” Ianto said, grinning up at Owen who laughed despite himself.

“Someone’s been watching too much Supernatural,” he scoffed and Ianto adopted an outraged expression.

“There is no such thing!” he declared, grinning again.

“I take it all this TV watching occurred while I was away?” Jack asked looking between the two of them with a confused expression that was equally shared by Gwen and Toshiko both.

“You were away an awfully long time,” Ianto agreed, not missing the downwards twitch of Jack’s mouth as he said it. Turning to Owen he asked, “so what’s your plan then? How would we stop her?”

Owen coughed a little and held out a page he must have printed earlier. Ianto arched his eyebrow and looked at Owen over the top of the page. “Wikipedia is your answer?” he disparaged. “Forget what I said, I’m going to mock you eternally for this.”

Owen snatched the page back, “look, I know it’s not the most reliable site in the world-,”

“Not _the most_ reliable? It’s a cesspool of misinformation!” Toshiko exclaimed, her voice laden with disapproval.

“- _but,_ ” Owen stressed the word, speaking over her distress, “I’m not a complete idiot, alright? I know to take everything on it with more than just a pinch of salt. The main thing is, though, that I remember hearing about this sort of stuff before, so… it could actually work. And besides, it’s all we’ve got so far and I don’t see any of you lot coming up with the bright ideas.”

Ianto shook his head and looked a heartbeat away from dropping it against the table in front of him.

“Alright, I’ll bite,” Gwen said, “what have you found exactly?”

“I figure if she’s buried beneath the varp, all we have to do is dig down until we find her body, lay some ruins preventing her spirit from functioning as a Gjenganger on top of her bones and then rebury her.”

“That easy, huh?” Ianto asked and Owen shrugged, pouting a little in annoyance. Toshiko reached out, waggling her fingers for Owen to hand her over his piece of paper which he did so.

“Well,” he began to answer, “if she is actually buried beneath it and we’re trying to stop her from doing all this, then I seriously doubt she’s just going to sit back and watch us do it.”

“Do you really believe this could work, Owen?” Toshiko asked, peering at the section on the runes, doubt in her voice. “I could run a more thorough search on the runes and the inscription if needed. I mean if we’re seriously contemplating this. I can maybe even see if there are any additional suggestions or theories on how to deal with the Gjenganger in our online Archives?”

She looked up to find Owen looking at her with a very surprised look on his face. “Er, yeah, that’ll… yeah. Thanks, Tosh.” He stammered and she smiled softly, her frown smoothing out even as her fingers began flying over the keys of her laptop.

“Right then,” Jack said, clapping his hands together after a moment of silence, and looked at Owen. “What do the rest of us need to do? Anything by way of protecting ourselves from being attacked while we’re desecrating her grave?”

Tosh held out Owen’s Wikipedia printout without removing her gaze from the screen before her. “Crucifixes apparently work rather well.”

“Why is it that everyone bar extraterrestrials and teenagers fear the hand of God?” Jack asked thoughtfully.

“I think it works on the power of belief, Jack,” Ianto said, taking the page from Toshiko’s fingers. “If you believe it’ll work, it should theoretically work.”

“Says the non believer?”

Ianto blinked at him. “I am a believer.”

Jack looked surprised. “Really?”

“Whatever,” Owen interrupted. “Main thing is that _she’s_ probably a believer. They all were in that centaury anyway. So that means we need some crosses.”

“There might still be some in the chapel we found that first day?” Gwen piped up and Owen agreed, finding himself following her out of the room soon after in a hunt for any sort of crucifix they could find whilst simultaneously trying not to question just how easily they were all taking the idea of all but exorcising the spirit of a lady who apparently couldn’t let sleeping dogs lie. Owen shook his head. Working for Torchwood just kept getting weirder and weirder.

\- - -

“Is that it?” Gwen asked, a note of disdain to her voice as she eyed the sorry looking lump of rocks and sticks making up the supposed varp.

“Yup,” Jack agreed, clapping his hands together and pursing his lips. His team stood in a semi-circle around the varp, varying expressions of discomfort and disbelief painted across their faces. Ianto stabbed his shovel into the soft earth and leant himself upon the handle.

“Does anyone else feel rather ridiculous about all this?” He asked with a croak to his voice.

Owen smiled slyly, “It’d feel a whole lot less stupid if we’d come at night, right?”

Ianto smothered his laugh behind a cough, his eyes shining with amusement. “Something like that, yeah.”

Jack ignored the pair of them. “Are we all ready?” He asked, eyeing them all one at a time. Owen, Ianto and himself all carried shovels, Gwen held a wooden plaque carved by Toshiko with the runes she’s insisted where the correct translation of the original Scandinavian and which looking nothing like the ones printed out on Owen’s Wikipedia page. Toshiko herself held a scanner and stylus in hand, her eyes intent upon the screen for any fluctuations at all.

“We’re good to go,” she answered whilst the others nodded their heads. Jack looked down at the varp and shook his head.

“Well then, here goes nothing,” he said and stabbed his shovel into the varp, digging away the first spade full of sticks and stones. He paused then, everyone looking around expectantly, waiting for something- _anything_ \- to happen. Nothing did. Jack shrugged and dug in again, his spade full followed first by Owen and then by Ianto as they dug away at the mound and then at the compact earth beneath it.

It started as a cool breath of wind whispering through the overhanging branches above them, rustling at leaves and causing the branches to creak against one another. Then, like a cloud creeping across the sun, the space around them seemed to grow duller. The coldness became more profound, seeping through their layers and permeating deep into their bones. A silence began to descend around them that was both warning and expectant at once.

“Toshiko?” Jack called, pausing a moment to look over at her. She shook her head.

“Nothing,” She answered in a clipped voice, teeth chattering together as she huddled beside Gwen. Ianto stepped back, breathing heavily, his face pale and sweat-streaked. Jack carefully pushed him towards Gwen and moved into his place, digging with Owen.

A sudden scream rent the air as Owen cried out in triumph at hitting something that sounded very much like wood. He dropped to his knees, marvelling at the shallowness of the grave and how it had managed to remain so well preserved throughout the years. He dug his hands in, scraping away the soil until they had a space wide enough to work with.

The girls were looking around nervously and Ianto visibly startled at the sound, recognising it with gut-clenching dread as being the same scream he’d heard the smoke give before it had possessed him.

“Jack,” Owen called, falling back onto his hunches. Jack raised his spade, ready to bring it down with force upon the wooden box visible when another scream tore through the air and Jack felt something heavy collide with his chest, dragging the air from his lungs and throwing him to his back.

Ianto was at his side in an instant, helping him up as he looked around for whatever had attacked him. As far as any of them could tell there was nothing to be seen. A prickle of deep-set unease washed over them all. And then the singing began. Jack sucked in a breath, his eyes glazing over at the sound of it. Ianto swayed slightly, recognised the song also. Even Owen, who hadn’t heard it before, paused a moment, his eyes staring unseeing ahead at the sound of it.

 _“Stop, please stop,”_ a voice called out and Gwen turned to Toshiko with wide and worried eyes. Toshiko shook her head.

“I’m not getting anything,” she hissed, distressed. Gwen reached for her gun. She knew it wouldn’t do a thing against a spirit or the Rift or whatever the hell this thing was, but the weight of it in her hand steadied her and she worked on evening out her breathing.

“Jack?” Gwen called out, but Jack didn’t move. Her eyes swept over Ianto and Owen too but they looked to be in the same condition.

 _“Why are you doing this?”_ The voice called out again and Gwen shivered, hearing the threat behind the innocence of the words.

“Jack!” She called again, louder this time and watched as he twitched his head in her direction before stilling once more.

“They look to be in some kind of trace,” Toshiko said, pocketing her device and tugging the spade from Ianto’s unresisting hand. She stepped over to the grave.

“What are you going to do?” Gwen asked, inching closer but keeping her eyes moving around the clearing.

“What the boys can’t,” she answered and heaved the shovel downwards, digging it into the ground with a force that easily shattered the aged wood of the coffin buried there. Another scream sounded and Gwen cried out as she watched a woman materialise only paces away from her. Toshiko barely looked up as she hacked at the wood till she was certain the space was large enough for their purposes.

“Gwen! The plaque!”

Gwen looked down at her feet where she’d dropped said plaque when going for her gun. The woman reached out a hand, morphing before her eyes until she was staring at, at-

“Oh god,” Gwen gasped, her knees going weak.

“GWEN!” Toshiko cried out and Gwen turned, seeing the panic on Toshiko’s face and wondering why the site of- oh. _Oh!_ She understood now. She twisted quickly, kicking the plaque towards Toshiko.

“Whatever you’re seeing, Tosh, it’s not real. It’s what she does, remember? She makes us see whatever she wants.” She cocked the gun, staring at the advancing creature. “Do it, Tosh!” She yelled before screaming and firing uselessly as it launched itself at her, dispersing itself into a smoke that continued to reach out for her.

Toshiko hurried to fit the plaque into the hole, her lips chanting words Gwen had never heard before as she stumbled backwards; tripping suddenly over her own feet and landing with a thump on her backside, she raised her hand over her face, as if that alone would stop the thing from attacking her.

It screamed, with anger and pain and Gwen felt it tearing at her hair, scratching at her hands as she pressed them to her face. Toshiko screamed too, but not in pain, her voice grew louder and louder as she chanted the words believed to bind the spirit to its grave and prevent it from roaming the earth.

“Gwen!” She shouted, “Gwen, help me!”

Gwen rolled away, crawling on her knees towards Toshiko and digging her hands into the mud, she pushed it over the grave, over the plaque Toshiko was trying to bury there. Their hands move frantically, pushing mud and piling sticks and stones. All the while Toshiko chanting and Gwen praying and the wind and the cold growing more fierce until, with what had to be a final scream, everything died away into sudden silence.

Gwen opened her eyes and looked straight into Toshiko’s own. Her face was streaked with mud and blood from a cut just above her eye. He hair looked like a birds nest of knots and leaves and Gwen was certain hers looked pretty much the same.

Jack dropped to his knees suddenly. Then Ianto. Owen toppled onto his side, falling into Toshiko who barely managed to catch him before she fell over too. She pushed him the other way, reaching out to smack at his face.

“Owen?” She called and Gwen snapped into action, scrambling over to Ianto and Jack and calling on the pair of them.

Simultaneously, all three mean let out groans of discomfort before blinking themselves back into the moment. Toshiko sat down beside Owen’s body, huffing out a laugh. Gwen looked at her and shook her head, the adrenaline in her system causing her hands to shake.

“What just happened?” Jack asked, pushing himself up slowly.

“No thanks to you boys, I think Tosh and I just managed to save the day,” Gwen grinned at Jack who frowned and helped Ianto sit himself up also.

Owen groaned loudly, “I know I’m not supposed to, but I really do feel like I’ve been whacked over the head with something very large and very heavy.”

“You and the rest of us too, Owen,” Toshiko muttered, trying to pick the foliage from her hair.

“Is it over then?” Ianto asked, rubbing at his head.

“The fact that we five are all still here looks like a good sign,” Jack said, standing. “What say you, Tosh?”

“I think so, yes,” Toshiko answered, “Though my monitoring device didn’t seem to be of much use after all, so I’m not one hundred percent sure.”

“How will we know if it worked then?” Owen asked standing and reaching a hand down to Toshiko who shrugged once she was standing.

“I guess we’ll just have to keep monitoring the area.” She said, looking at them all.

Jack nodded. “I guess we will.” He agreed. And then he smiled. “So, who’s up for fun time in the shower when we get back?”

A chorus of groans echoed around the clearing as everyone began shuffling away from him and onto the path back to the castle.

“Was it something I said?” He asked, twitching away as Ianto jabbed a finger into his side.

“Now what did I tell you about playing nice?” He asked, clearing his throat over the words.

“Oh yes,” Jack grinned slightly, wrapping and arm around Ianto and urging them both forwards. “You still owe me for your little stunt in the SUV.”

“And you owe me for what happened in the theatre,” Ianto croaked back, sliding his arm around Jack in return.

“What do you think the dancing was for?” Jack laughed and Ianto snorted.

“I’m far more work than that, I’ll have you know.”

Jack smiled, kissing at Ianto’s crown and tightening his arm, “but worth it.” He agreed.

 **  
_End._   
**


End file.
